Check with Google,Len,and see if they can come up with a garlic spray.....it stinks and is very effective...but I've lost my recipe.

Daz.

thanks daz,

not sure the garlic or even the chillie psrays will work on these as those sprays do nothing to help with grasshoppers, and these are leaf eaters just the same but will check it out on google you just never know.

len

g'day daz,

haven't gotten around to trying any garlic spray yet, but we have been using their own defence mechanism against them. they have this sneaky trick of simply dropping to the ground when you touch the leaf/branch whatever, so we put a little kerosine into an iceream container hold it under the leaves then make them use their defence so they drop into the kero' and die. seems to be working well.

len

Try using a dishwashing liquid detergent soap.
We have used this spray formula for palm trees for forty years and it really works.
We use this spray as a preventive against diseases and insect in plam trees
One tablespoon of soap to a gallon of water.
Use a small spray bottle and try it to see if it works for you.
If it works for you let us know and we will give more information.
Earle
grntreeresearvch@aol.com

thanks earle,

we'll give that a try and let you know controlling the leaf eaters can be a bit more difficult than most. for now we seem to have headed them off using their own defense mechanism against them.

len

My fig tree, about 5 feet tall, is full of figs this year, but something is stripping the leaves and leaving only the heavy leaf veins/frame. Whatever it is it must operate at night because I see nothing on the tree. Must be a large caterpillar or beatle that works at night. Never seen this before and have had many fig trees in my life.
Going to go out tonight with a flash light and check it out.
Anyone had this problem? Any ideas other than spraying with insecticide?

I have the same issue here in Boerne, TX. In the morning, leaves are eaten back to the stalk/veins. Will the dish soap spray help? Thanks!

Phil, I think your problem is a type of beetle. I've had the same problem. Only the soft tissue of the leaves are eaten and the web is left. They can dessimate your tree in quick time. After many hrs of research and asking questions to many people, the only thing I came up with is; literally squash them when the opportunity arrises. They want to fall off when you approach so you have to be sneaky. Apparently, they live in the soil over winter and reappear when juicy new leaves in spring come forth. I followed the advice and was fairly consistant and overcame the problem. Just coming on the spring here now and new leaves are just popping out. Will be interesting to see how bad it gets this summer. Hope this help. I cant remember the name of the beetle.

I might be able to I.D. it if I could see it.

Its hard to work out a control until you know what the pest is.

It sounds like a weevil

g'day miketrees,

the original post was about 7 years ago, i now can't remember the final outcome now.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page

This is the beetle I love to hate.
In our climate (Queensland) the adults can overwinter near the base of the trees. It does not get cold enough to kill them. You can trap them by wrapping the trunk with carpet or similar and catching them all napping every month or so. Then it is into the hot soapy water (HSW) with them.

In spring they emerge from their hiding places and start chewing on the new green shoots. Hold a bucket with an inch or two of HSW underneath the beetles and blow on them. They drop suddenly to escape, but, oh no! Bad career move, Dude.

When the leaves open up, they start mating. Two for the price of one. Sometimes there are others waiting nearby for their turn, so the more the merrier in the HSW. Take care how you hold the bucket, because they can bounce off leaves and escape. Ones higher in the canopy can be tickled into dropping with a bamboo stick, then you need to be quick with the bucket. Or climbing the tree is good exercise, too.

Those which are successful at laying eggs leave a circular clutch on either side of a leaf. I carry around a 3/8 or 1/2 inch hole punch. Finger behind, punch above, give it a twist and you cut out a perfect circle with the eggs attached. This should not cut your finger if the punch is not too sharp. Try to keep clear of veins and the leaf should grow on OK.

If the grubs manage to elude your scrutiny for a while, you will spot them eventually and then you should roll them off the leaf into the good old HSW. Do not let them fall to the ground as there is evidence they may be able to live for several days and may manage to pupate even though starving. They are better off drowned quickly I think.

Good luck with your beetle control!