Pest identification
What's eating my cashew?
Tea mosquito bug (Helopeltis antonii)
Signs: Sunken necrotic lesions on tender shoots, flowers, and developing nuts; wilting and die-back of growing tips
Control: Spray neem oil or pyrethrin-based insecticide at flush and flowering; remove heavily infested shoots; encourage predatory wasps
Cashew stem and root borer (Plocaederus ferrugineus)
Signs: Gummy exudate on the trunk and main branches; tunnels in bark cause branch die-back and tree death
Control: Swab entry holes with kerosene or neem oil; inject chlorpyrifos solution into tunnels; remove and burn dead wood
Thrips (Selenothrips rubrocinctus)
Signs: Silvery, bronzed, or russeted leaf surfaces; scarred and distorted young nuts
Control: Apply insecticidal soap or spinosad sprays; encourage predatory mites; avoid over-fertilising with nitrogen
Mealybugs
Signs: White cottony masses at leaf axils and on young shoots; sticky honeydew leads to sooty mould
Control: Dab with isopropyl alcohol; spray neem oil or insecticidal soap; introduce Cryptolaemus ladybird beetles
Keep cashew pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Cashew pests — FAQ
What is eating my cashew?
Cashew trees are attacked by the cashew stem and root borer, tea mosquito bug, and thrips as primary pests. In home gardens, mealybugs and scale insects also appear on new growth. Squirrels and parrots raid maturing nuts. The tea mosquito bug (Helopeltis) is the most destructive pest worldwide.
How do I get rid of tea mosquito bug (helopeltis antonii) on cashew?
Sunken necrotic lesions on tender shoots, flowers, and developing nuts; wilting and die-back of growing tips Spray neem oil or pyrethrin-based insecticide at flush and flowering; remove heavily infested shoots; encourage predatory wasps
How do I get rid of cashew stem and root borer (plocaederus ferrugineus) on cashew?
Gummy exudate on the trunk and main branches; tunnels in bark cause branch die-back and tree death Swab entry holes with kerosene or neem oil; inject chlorpyrifos solution into tunnels; remove and burn dead wood
How do I get rid of thrips (selenothrips rubrocinctus) on cashew?
Silvery, bronzed, or russeted leaf surfaces; scarred and distorted young nuts Apply insecticidal soap or spinosad sprays; encourage predatory mites; avoid over-fertilising with nitrogen
How do I get rid of mealybugs on cashew?
White cottony masses at leaf axils and on young shoots; sticky honeydew leads to sooty mould Dab with isopropyl alcohol; spray neem oil or insecticidal soap; introduce Cryptolaemus ladybird beetles