What's eating my calamondin orange?

Calamondin orange is most often grown indoors or in a conservatory, making it especially vulnerable to spider mites and soft scale — both thrive in warm, dry indoor air. Aphids attack new shoots, and mealybugs can appear in stem joints. Spider mites are the single most consistent problem on calamondins kept under glass.

Pale stippling and silvery bronzing on leaves; fine webbing on leaf undersides; yellowing and early leaf drop in severe cases Increase humidity by misting regularly; wipe leaves with a damp cloth; apply horticultural oil or predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis); avoid hot, dry spots

Sticky honeydew and subsequent black sooty mould on leaves and fruit; flat, oval brown scales on stems and leaf midribs Wipe off with soapy water; treat with horticultural oil; scrape crawlers from stems; inspect regularly during winter when plants are indoors

Clusters on shoot tips and flower buds causing curled, distorted new growth; honeydew attracts ants Pinch off badly infested tips; spray with insecticidal soap; introduce ladybird larvae for biological control on conservatory plants

White waxy fluff in leaf axils and stem joints; affected shoots wilt; honeydew encourages sooty mould Dab with a cotton bud dipped in isopropyl alcohol; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap; repeated treatments every 7–10 days are needed to break the egg cycle