What's eating my tamarind?

Tamarind's worst pest in storage and on the tree is the bruchid beetle (Caryedon serratus), whose larvae bore into pods and consume seeds. Growing trees also suffer from scale insects, mealybugs, and pod-boring moths. Good sanitation and timely sprays of neem oil or insecticidal soap keep most populations in check.

Females lay eggs on pods; larvae bore into pulp and devour seeds, contaminating flesh with frass and causing up to 20% pod loss. Harvest promptly and store in sealed containers; fumigate stored pods with aluminium phosphide if infestations are severe.

Hard shell-like bumps encrust branches and stems; heavy infestations cause dieback and sticky honeydew deposits. Apply horticultural oil sprays to smother crawlers; prune heavily infested shoots.

White cottony masses on young shoots, leaf axils, and pods; sap loss and sooty mould weaken the tree. Remove by hand or with a strong water jet; treat with neem oil or insecticidal soap repeated every 2 weeks.

Larvae tunnel into ripe and stored pods, webbing pulp together with frass and accelerating rot. Use fine-mesh bags over developing pods; store harvested fruit in sealed containers; apply Bt spray during larval hatch.