What's eating my pomelo?

Pomelo shares the pest profile of all large citrus: the citrus leafminer disfigures every new flush, fruit flies attack ripe fruit, and citrus rust mites cause extensive fruit russetting that makes produce unmarketable. Scale insects and mealybugs are persistent sap-suckers. Bag developing fruits, use leafminer pheromone traps, and apply horticultural oil for scales.

Larvae mine silvery trails through every new leaf flush, causing curling and stunted growth on young trees Spray new growth with spinosad or neem oil; prune affected flush; pheromone traps monitor adult flight

Females sting ripening fruit to lay eggs; larvae rot the flesh from inside; fallen fruit rots rapidly Bag individual fruits as they size up; use methyl eugenol or protein-bait traps; harvest promptly and remove fallen fruit

Feeding causes bronze russetting on fruit skin, making pomelos unsightly and unmarketable at market Apply sulfur-based miticide or horticultural oil; monitor with a hand lens; avoid broad-spectrum sprays that kill predatory mites

Encrust stems and fruit stalks, weakening trees and causing sooty mold from honeydew Horticultural oil spray smothers all mobile and settled stages; encourage natural parasitic wasps