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How to Protect Your Arizona Citrus Trees from Pests

If you are reading this blog, it means that you like to harvest citrus fruits as a farmer, or by hobby. Even if you don’t have any citrus trees in your yard and you are just interested in this topic, that is okay too. We are here to explain what you can do in order to protect your citrus trees and make them have a longer lifespan. There are a lot of pests that like citrus fruit. Some of them tend to eat and destroy the fruit that the trees produce and others like to devour the sap out of the trees, causing unhealthy foliage and making the tree have poor citrus production. Here are some steps you can take to reduce the chances that pests will infest your trees:

HOW TO START PROTECTING YOUR TREES

Start to check regularly the status of your tree:
There are some pests that are attracted by leaf litter and debris around trees. Also, they can get easier access to the tree if there are branches low enough, touching the ground. One of the most common pests that love citrus trees and likes to move onto them in this way are snails. You should contact a pest control company in Gilbert if you see your trees full of snails because they can chew the leaves and fruit of the tree, doing a lot of damage. These slow bugs tend to leave a silver line trail everywhere they travel so you can pick this up this as a sign that there are snails on your tree. The best thing you can do is to is to clean all the leaf litter around your tree and to keep all branches from touching the ground.
Get insecticidal soap for your trees
Aphids are another pest that loves citrus fruit trees and any plants they can find. These little bugs can cause more plant damage than any other insect. You can prevent these unwanted visitors by spending a little time spraying your citrus fruits and plants with an insecticidal soap that is only harmful to bugs. Anytime you find aphids, you can use your spray to get rid of them. If the problem goes out of your hand, you need to contact a professional pest control company.
Check thoroughly how and when to apply the insecticide you are purchasing
Besides being poisonous, not every insecticide has the same instructions on their package. As an example, there are some that require being used when a tree is in its growing process and others that specifically needs to be used when it is flowering. Of course, there are also organic options for your pest control in Gilbert, but they may not do the required job depending on the pest you are trying to prevent.

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Know everything about the citrus fruit tree you are cultivating
Always check up your tree as often as you can. Whenever you are near your tree, see if the bark of your tree has any changes or if there are any dropped leaves from your tree. If there are any leaves on the ground, check if they are curled and if the color of them has changed. This can happen when there are many ants on your tree that, even if they don’t damage it, they are attracted by sweet fluids excreted by sap-loving insects.
Always identify the type of pest you are dealing with
When you find that your tree has signs of problems, it is going to be really important to figure out the root of it before applying any solution that you may have, because it won’t work on different kind of pests. There are some examples that you can use to identify different pests:

When aphids suck the leaves for their sap, the area around it will turn into a yellowish color.
Citrus thrips will cause the leaves to curl and start to look silver. Also, they will make your citrus fruits change appearance, making them look scabbed.
Brown soft scales likes to attach to the bark of your tree to camouflage themselves, they will look like irregularities on the trunk.

To avoid using harmful pesticides, it is required to identify the pest that your tree is having. If you need any help and you are located in Arizona, Mesa’s leading pest & termite control services have your back. With over 20 years of experience, we have a team full of licensed technicians trained in the latest and very best service methods, guaranteeing the best quality in the market. You can contact us anytime if you have any questions, we assure you will be satisfied with everything we offer.