Pest identification
What's eating my guava?
Caribbean fruit fly
Signs: Females puncture ripening fruit to lay eggs; larvae feed inside, causing rot and premature drop.
Control: Use methyl eugenol or pheromone traps; bag individual fruits; remove fallen fruit daily to break the lifecycle.
Red-banded thrips (Selenothrips rubrocinctus)
Signs: Silvery-bronze scarring and russeting on young leaves and fruit surfaces; heavy infestations cause leaf drop.
Control: Spray with neem oil or insecticidal soap; introduce predatory mites as biological control.
Aphids
Signs: Clustered on shoot tips and flower buds; distorted growth, honeydew, sooty mold, and potential virus transmission.
Control: Knock off with water; treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil; encourage lacewings and parasitic wasps.
Birds
Signs: Peck into ripe fruit, causing surface wounds that allow fungal rots to enter.
Control: Net smaller trees at ripening; harvest promptly once fruit colors up.
Keep guava pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Guava pests — FAQ
What is eating my guava?
Guava grown outdoors is hit hardest by Caribbean fruit fly — larvae destroy fruit from within, making it unmarketable. Red-banded thrips scar young leaves and fruit. Aphids cluster on new growth, and birds compete for ripe fruit. Fruit bagging, pheromone traps, and prompt removal of fallen fruit are the foundation of guava pest management.
How do I get rid of caribbean fruit fly on guava?
Females puncture ripening fruit to lay eggs; larvae feed inside, causing rot and premature drop. Use methyl eugenol or pheromone traps; bag individual fruits; remove fallen fruit daily to break the lifecycle.
How do I get rid of red-banded thrips (selenothrips rubrocinctus) on guava?
Silvery-bronze scarring and russeting on young leaves and fruit surfaces; heavy infestations cause leaf drop. Spray with neem oil or insecticidal soap; introduce predatory mites as biological control.
How do I get rid of aphids on guava?
Clustered on shoot tips and flower buds; distorted growth, honeydew, sooty mold, and potential virus transmission. Knock off with water; treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil; encourage lacewings and parasitic wasps.
How do I get rid of birds on guava?
Peck into ripe fruit, causing surface wounds that allow fungal rots to enter. Net smaller trees at ripening; harvest promptly once fruit colors up.