What's eating my meyer lemon?

Meyer lemon is particularly prone to scale insects, spider mites, and mealybugs — especially when grown in containers or indoors. Citrus leafminer attacks outdoor trees. Scale is the worst offender. Regular inspection, horticultural oil, and insecticidal soap are the core controls; avoid stressing the tree with drought.

Sticky, shiny leaf surfaces with sooty mold; brown or white bumps fixed to stems and leaf midribs; weakened, yellowing growth. Spray horticultural oil at 2–3 tbsp per gallon; repeat 2–3 times at 10-day intervals; scrape off manually on small plants.

White cottony masses in leaf axils, at stem joints, and along veins; sticky honeydew and sooty mold; stunted new growth. Dab with 70% isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil; introduce Cryptolaemus beetle predators.

Pale, bronzed or silvery stippling on leaf surfaces; webbing under leaves in severe infestations; premature leaf drop. Increase humidity around potted plants; apply horticultural oil or insecticidal soap; avoid excess nitrogen fertilizing which favors mites.

Silvery winding trails etched into new flush leaves; curled, distorted young leaves that harden and become unproductive. Delay heavy nitrogen feeds to reduce overlapping flush; rely on parasitic wasps; apply spinosad only on soft new growth if necessary.