Pest identification
What's eating my clementine?
Citrus leafminer
Signs: Silvery winding mines in young leaves; curled distorted shoots reduce vigour
Control: Apply neem oil or spinosad at every new growth flush; prune out heavily damaged shoots
Two-spotted spider mite
Signs: Fine pale stippling on leaves, bronze discoloration, fine webbing; worse in hot dry conditions
Control: Increase humidity; miticide spray (bifenazate or abamectin) or introduce Phytoseiulus persimilis predatory mites
Citrus scale
Signs: Encrusted stems and fruit; sooty mold from honeydew
Control: Horticultural oil treatment in late winter and summer
Wasps and birds
Signs: Pecked, hollowed, or split ripening fruit
Control: Net fruit as it colours; wasp traps near trees
Keep clementine pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Clementine pests — FAQ
What is eating my clementine?
Clementine mandarins are most troubled by citrus leafminer on new growth flushes and by spider mites in hot or dry periods. Scale insects can encrust stems and fruit if unchecked. Aphids attack the soft new tips. Birds and wasps often damage ripening fruit, especially in the UK where clementines are grown under protection.
How do I get rid of citrus leafminer on clementine?
Silvery winding mines in young leaves; curled distorted shoots reduce vigour Apply neem oil or spinosad at every new growth flush; prune out heavily damaged shoots
How do I get rid of two-spotted spider mite on clementine?
Fine pale stippling on leaves, bronze discoloration, fine webbing; worse in hot dry conditions Increase humidity; miticide spray (bifenazate or abamectin) or introduce Phytoseiulus persimilis predatory mites
How do I get rid of citrus scale on clementine?
Encrusted stems and fruit; sooty mold from honeydew Horticultural oil treatment in late winter and summer
How do I get rid of wasps and birds on clementine?
Pecked, hollowed, or split ripening fruit Net fruit as it colours; wasp traps near trees