While you no doubt love having your citrus trees, you’ve probably noticed that you aren’t the only one in the neighborhood who enjoys easy access to fresh fruit. Insects like the Asian citrus psyllid have been wreaking havoc in Texan citrus fields and home gardens, but pesticides may not be the best answer. Mass spraying tends to have pretty nasty side effects, and some species may even develop tolerance to such chemicals. Fortunately, a local lab is taking clues from nature by cultivating a non-stinging wasp that is a highly effective deterrent.
What’s Wrong with Psyllids?
The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, wouldn’t be such a problem if all it did was suck sap out of new shoots on various citrus tree species. Unfortunately, these tiny bugs also create a toxic byproduct that mangles some buds and kills off others, preventing trees from growing out properly. As if this isn’t bad enough, the psyllid also carries bacteria that transits Huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease, one of the worst citrus tree illnesses in the world. This disease has no cure, and it has spread from tropical regions in Asia to many other continents. The greening disease can quickly turn bitter fruits and kill off entire orchards.
Doing Things the Natural Way
Although some commercial pesticides help kill the psyllid that causes citrus greening disease, these aren’t always easy for homeowners to use. A highly effective alternate pest control method that has been used on commercial orchards in Florida since 1999 and at over 50 sites in Southern California since 2012 is the release of the Tamarixia radiata wasp.
The predator wasp is entirely unlike the large, stinging variety you’re probably familiar with and that many ABC customers are rightfully wary of. These wasps only attack the psyllid, using the pests as carriers for their eggs. This larva gradually eats the psyllid from the inside out, eventually leaving a mummy-like husk and moving on into adulthood. These insects have also been employed effectively in the many citrus-growing regions of Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Réunion, and Vietnam.
Keeping Your Property Healthier
Of course, citrus-killing insects aren’t the only pests of concern for Houston homeowners. Learn more about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to deal with your pest problems by contacting us at ABC Home & Commercial Services.