Gall Wasp (forum)

Grant starts with ...
I am having all manner of problems with Gall Wasp infestation on my citrus (Lemon, limes and grapefruit)to the point of tree removel and replant anew. Does anyone have a remedy to the beasties?

Time: 10th August 2007 3:19pm

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About the Author Grant2
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Correy says...
That is bizarre because I had a look at this report

http://www.mvcitrus.org.au/pdf/citrus%20gall%20wasp%20fact%20sheet.pdf

And apparently Melbourne isn't even in the effected area in Australia for gall wasps.

Actually I just visited Burke's Backyard and they said just recently they have been seen in Melbourne.

http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/2001/archives/2001_archives/in_the_garden/weeds_and_garden_pests/citrus_gall_wasp

They give this advise:

remove all galls from the trees by the end of August. Place the galls in a plastic bag, then seal the bag and put it in the garbage.

It does sound like you have a much larger infestation though so perhaps someone else knows of a better way.

Pests are such a pain after all the work we put into planting, watering, feeding, pruning etc etc
Pictures - Click to enlarge

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Time: 15th August 2007 8:10am

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About the Author Correy
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Simon says...
I also looked at the two cited articles.

Don't pay too much attention to the assertion that Gall wasp doesn't occur in Melbourne as it's been here for quite some time.

When I worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne we had a huge lemon tree with an enormous Gall wasp infestation and that was in 2000!!

I have had a Gall wasp infestation in my lemon tree for around 5 - 6 years and in a lime tree for around 3 years. I have just removed both after having tried heavy pruning. The mandarin (said to be the most resistant to Gall wasp) and cumquat tree were OK.

Time: 7th October 2008 12:17pm

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Liz says...
Just discovered Gall wasp in my mandarin yesterday!

A very old orange tree,right beside the lemon, seems to be okay. However, the lemon which had a heavy pruning about 3 years ago and was looking good and had produced its 1st crop, has another heavy infestation.



Time: 3rd November 2008 6:04am

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About the Author Liz5
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Bill says...
Like others, we've had the wretched gall wasp infesting our lemon tree in Melbourne for years. I see that Bunnings are selling an insect trap, supposedly for Fruit flies and Citrus Gall Wasp. Has anyone used them? If so, results? I hope it's effective, as cutting the tree right back reduces the crop for at least one year.

Time: 25th November 2008 1:15pm

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Michelle says...
I am just pruning back my lemon tree I hope it survives as I now have no choice.The fruit is almost non existent and small with no juice. However the lime that is right next to it looks ok at this stage.I will try the traps spoken about by Bill am happy to give anything a go at this stage.



Time: 30th December 2008 1:18pm

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Bill says...
Michelle,
Good luck with the traps. I've hung three of them in what is left of our noe-heavily-pruned tree. There's plenty of new growth, but, judging from Simon's experience, my attempts may come to nought!
Bill

Time: 21st January 2009 6:36pm

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Correy says...
I have had success cutting out the gall wasps. You just need a keen eye and to keep it up but I guess I never had an infestation.

Time: 21st January 2009 7:17pm

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Shawn says...
I have a potted lemon & lime tree about 4 years old. Both are infected with Gall Wasp larvae. I have not trimmed the required areas as i am new to the growing of these fruits and received them as a gift. What should i do as all the info states to prune at the latest August ?

Time: 4th February 2009 9:53am

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GRANT says...
I had Gall Wasp in a Lemon, Grapefruit and a 2 Limes. Over 2 years I heavily pruning out all the affected limbs on all the trees. I have been free of the pest for the 12 months. I pruned before the end of July each year regardless of what was present before that date and completely destroyed the pruned limbs.

My trees looked horrible intially after each season prune but now the regrowth and fruit has been worth it. I will continue this strategie as continually buying new trees does not seem to be the answer in my area.

Time: 13th February 2009 1:29pm

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Michelle says...
Hi Shawn, I pruned Jan. this year, as I was at the desperate stage. Even with the drought, my tree looks a million times better, sprouting leaves and small fruit starting to appear. Prior to pruning it looked very sick. So I say go for it!

Time: 13th February 2009 2:44pm

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Felicity says...
Hi, I was told by a horticulturalist recently that most recent thinking is that while gall wasp infestations are unsightly they do not harm the tree as much as once thought. Apparently nutrients can still get through the affected branches. He said it might shorten the life of the tree but basically if you used the traps (yellow sticky things) to catch the wasps once they hatch, that kind of controls them. That's the advice I'm going to take from now on because I've hacked back lemons and limes to almost non existence. Very frustrating.

Time: 10th March 2009 7:40pm

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Helen says...
We have a lemon tree that wld be close to 50 yrs old. This is the first year we have noticed the dreaded gall wasp. The fruit is as good as ever too much if anything. Theres new growth everywhere and it looks very healthy. Im not going to get fussed about it. This year it is going to have its once a decade cut back. so we will see what happens.

Time: 30th August 2009 3:30pm

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culebra says...
the citrus gall wasp is a uniquely Australian pest and this native originally fed on the native citrus species like fingerlimes etc. then when citrus cultivation was initiated and expanded it adapted to these commercial citrus and expanded its range accordingly.

I see them on citrus trees in Melbourne quite frequently and it has been here for quite a while. they appear to favour particular types of citrus over others. My Tahitian lime tree was completely covered in them at one point. My orange and lemon literally metres away from it had hardly any at all. good control method is by cutting off all affected growth and burning asap.

A similar, but better, story is the Dingy swallowtail butterfly (Papilio anactus). Definitely the most beautiful butterfly to be found in Melbourne and surrounds over the summer months. one of my faves. Apparently first recorded in Mildura in 1914 in citrus orchards. also now found in SA.

it was originally native to far further north in east coast QLD and northern NSW and fed on native citrus species and same deal, when citrus were cultivated commercially it expanded its range accordingly. None of these beautiful butterflies or their caterpillars should ever be destroyed. more to the point i've never seen them do any serious damage to citrus trees. in fact its free pruning! that said if there are multiple big fat caterpillars feasting on your very young non-established citrus tree simply discretely re-locate them to your neighbours lemon tree when they are not home, or even better get your kids to hand-raise them. very fun, educational and rewarding when that butterfly first emerges from its crysalis.

http://images.google.com.au/images?hl=en&rlz=1R2GFRE_en&q=papilio%20anactus&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

Time: 30th August 2009 4:06pm

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Michelle says...
Pruned the Lemon back in December. Now its great. But I didnt prune the lime.
Disaster! Just pruned it yesterday back to nothing . Not only was there a gall wasp infestation but also something has been eating the trunk of the tree along with branches. Does anyone know what this bug may be and what I can do?

Time: 7th September 2009 9:49am

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Jace says...
Hey Michelle, You might have Grubs. Once when A gum tree was being cut after it fell down at my home we found that the tree had been eaten from the inside and found some grubs running away to hide.

Time: 24th September 2009 1:36pm

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Janis says...
Thanks for your inforamtion. I have had my Lemon Tree for 38 years and it is the pride of the place. I supply Lemons to everyone and all the Fish and Chips shops. Last year for the first time I noticed the galls. I knew nothing about them. Now for the second year I am cutting them off and am putting up the yellow sticky traps. I am so disappionted that this pest has arrived and new little "bumps" come up here and there, so I can see that I have to keep chopping all the time now, whenever I see a bulge in the new growth. Does anyone know of a stroner spray or something that can be more thorough than the sticky strips????

Thanks Janis

Time: 13th October 2009 1:27pm

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Wayne says...
Hello Janis
I bet you are disappointed, I checked out a garden guru we have up this way and he suggests Rogor
http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2009/10/toms-answers-week-beginning-9-sep.html

"The pimples are Leaf Galls you can spray with a systemic insecticide like Rogor to kill the pest Mix 30mls to 4.5litres water plus a wetting agent 30mls and spray three times seven days apart. Foliage spray with Liquid Potash 60grams plus

Time: 13th October 2009 5:08pm

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essie says...
All the pruning will probably have little long-lasting effect if your neighbours have an infested tree 5 meytres away over the fence.What about forming a neighbourhood gall-wasp-watch, so that an area can be cleared up, not just one backyard tree.

Time: 1st March 2010 3:01pm

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Maria says...
Hi, I accidentally came across this forum whilst looking for info about gall wasps.

I recently moved into a rental property with a citrus tree in the backyard (I am not sure whether it is lemon or lime, at the moment there are quite a few smallish dark green fruit on the tree, I don't know whether they supposed to go yellow - then it's lemon; or stay green - then it's lime) which is quite heavily infested with gall wasps. I am positive that nobody looked at the tree for a few years, because there are many old lumps which already have little holes all over them; I assume that's from last August when previous generation of wasps flew out. At the moment the tree looks to be well enough, there is a lot of new growth and it is flowering beautifully. Given that all the information I've read so far tells me that I should prune the tree before August, I am wondering whether I really have to do this, because it seems to me that if I do this trying to get rid of all the lumps, I will prune it pretty much to a stump... Anybody has any suggestions? Any advice would be much appreciated...


Time: 5th April 2010 11:53am

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Allie says...
our lemon tree was COVERED with gall wasp - for probably about 3-4 years. Only yesterday we decided to prune the tree back to about 1m high, and removed all branches. hopefully this will do the trick. We think we probably won't get lemons this year but hopefully this time next year the problem will be solved. Interesting to note that the tree, whilst infested with the pest, still produced absolutely beautiful lemons! The branches we were removing were covered with lumps, both old and new. The tree was in a corner with 2 fences behind the tree, which was obviously perfect for the wasp to breed/infect the tree.

Time: 6th April 2010 10:49am

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Maria says...
Hmmm.... The advice that I received the other day from a lady in a nursery was: "But you MUST! [cut it all off] I don't know where you've heard that you don't, you HAVE TO!!!" Well, I'll guess, I wait and see a bit, the other advice was also to remove all the grass from around the tree (which I have) and then, if I cut, to throw "everything" like fertiliser, Seasol, etc. at it...

Time: 9th April 2010 1:24am

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Felicity says...
Hi, I pruned my lemon and lime back to just about stumps last year (they're in large pots). They're both looking great now but the gall wasp has come back. I figure if I have to cut it back hard every year I will never get fruit so what I'm proposing is to use the traps to minimise the wasp but not cut back heavily. If I have to replace the trees in 5 years then so be it, at least I'll have 5 years worth of fruit.

Time: 10th April 2010 6:29pm

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Jo says...
Does anyone know if there's a natural deterrant for these wasps?????? For Example, if garlic planted near your roses keeps aphids off (and it does) is there something these wasps don't like the taste of?
I had the wasp in my lemon last year, and cut it back hard, but now have them in my lime.

Time: 22nd April 2010 1:25pm

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Pam says...
Our lemon tree was severely affected by gall wasp. We spent 2 years cutting them out before August and disposed of them as advised. The first year we must have pruned the tree back by about half and the second year by about a third - almost all the new growth was infected and got chopped off as soon as we saw the galls forming. We improved the soil, mulched and fed the tree according to best advice and improved our watering habits to ensure even watering. We now have hardly any galls on the tree and it is producing lemons like it never did before. I don't think that there is a natural deterrent. Improving the health of the tree seems to have worked.

Time: 22nd April 2010 9:12pm

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hugh says...
im a gardener in the east and south/east of melbourne and gall wasps r everywhere i see lemon trees.i havnt used the long yellow bug traps.i suggest that if u do use one,you empty it out to find out exactly what u r killing along with the wasp.the previous suggestion seems to make the most sense;a healthy tree has its own defences....expose the bare soil under the tree during winter(allowing soil to warm in the sun);if it hasnt rained for a while lightly water the soil earlyish on sunny winter days(warms roots and avoids frost for the next day);minimum organic fert. in early spring(reducing the amount of soft growth);in mid spring scratch in(dont dig in and disturb roots)a layer of unsmelly, broken down,dark coloured compost(if u r dealing with hard clay 'spike' holes before hand).keep it well clear of the trunk.pull back old soil and matter(by hand)clear of the trunk.u can prune 1/3 of the tree each year,creating 'holes' evenly through the canopy,so u will have a decent crop each year.take off all fruit on 'first year in the ground' plants:at least half the next year.u can learn to graft on a different viriety aswell....please dont spray insectecides.the wasp seems to be here in melbourne to stay.i read that u can cut the new galls open thus killing the buggers.and finaly; oranges r yum and for a feature tree they make more sense due to this wasp..ill check bio control...good luck

Time: 6th June 2010 10:32pm

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Billber says...
I also have had the wasp on my lemon tree gave it a good prune and I mean good. Now heaps of lemons,tree looks very healthy will check for wasp when lemons finished.Also have tahitian lime that has been infected in half wine barrel Using long yellow tube, seems to catch a lot of insects & flies. can someone tell me what would happen to the Citrys trees if you didn't get rid of the effected branches.

Time: 9th June 2010 11:11am

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Catherine says...
Can someone tell me if using the sticky traps also traps the bees that you need to pollinate the tree?

Time: 13th June 2010 12:44pm

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Chris says...
@ Catherine: very unlikely.
You may however get other unwanted pests too, eg Whiteflies

Time: 15th June 2010 4:58pm

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Annie says...
Hi everyone,
In March I bought and moved into a house with an old lemon tree that was totally infested with galls. After fretting about it for a while I eventually got out the secateurs and cut off all the bits with galls. Problem is, there's not much left! And some of the higher branches don't seem to have the gall, so I've left them on. Now it looks very odd. What should I do with those bits? leave them so I can get a bit of fruit from the tree this spring, or cut them back to the same size as the other branches?
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 16th July 2010 2:06pm

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Maria says...
Annie, you are a brave soul... I am yet to take the scissors to mine, probably too late now as it's nearly August, but just don't have the time. Anyway, I am not a specialist in the matter, but IMHO, if the sight of the tree doesn't bother you too much (and it does look a bit odd, indeed) may be leave it as it is, give it a good feed and then, when you have new growth, trim it a bit... On the other hand, I would not be too sure, but may there be a chance that the branches which do not seem to have galls still harbour the wasp?

Time: 28th July 2010 9:24am

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Vicki says...
If you can prune some of the tree this wiil help but for the rest get a sharp knife and slice open the galls, this will allow air to get to the lavae and kill them. I have a small lemon tree and mandarine but so far so good only 2 years old and no citrus from neighbours so maybe lucky.

Time: 28th July 2010 12:28pm

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John says...
I have a neighbour with heavily infected trees that have spread to mine. I have pruned them from a large lemon tree and put the gall wasp traps in an old bird cage as they have a strong adhesive that may trap honey eaters after the insects.
My small lime tree cannot be pruned to hard or there will be little left. I have coated the galls with tar based pruning paint in the hope that the larvae will suffocate.



Time: 6th August 2010 2:02pm

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Jeannie says...
I have just watched this week's Gardening Australia where Gall Wasps were shown on a citrus in Brisbane. It was stated that they are established in Melbourne and that removal in Queensland and NSW was mandatory.
Here is a suggestion
1. Cut away portions where there is a gall
2. Burn prunings or place in black plastic bags and place in garbage
3. Fertilise with manure, mulch keeping away from bark and water well.
4. Spray with seaweed solution to reduce disease (this works for black spot on roses too) and restore foliage
5. Hang sticky wasp traps (like the cage idea John - perhaps chicken wire around each trap?)
5. Make six pen-sized holes in each of six plastic drink bottles and fill each with about six moth balls. Hang in tree - the female will go elsewhere
6. Try spraying tree with Neem oil - bugs will think its a totally inedible Neem tree. Works well for rodents and small animals ring-barking your trees

Time: 9th August 2010 4:11pm

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megamont says...
This branch (Pic. 1) was barley all I had left of my lemon tree after a gall wasp attack.

But it wasn't long before it too got stung so I tried an experiment by slicing off the gall and part of the sapwood with secateurs running parallel with the branch I managed to save it.
Notice the vertical scaring.(2 scars)

The bunch of flowers on the left of the next Pic.2 in the netting belongs to this branch.(one year on)
Of course the netting solved the problem for good.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 12th September 2010 2:51pm

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dawn says...
I have used the traps with success for treatment of the gall wasp. I also spray with white oil on all new growth and feed every two weeks with citrus food or maxicrop. good luck Dawn

Time: 26th October 2010 9:48am

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fartsydoodlehead says...
I too had a gall wasp infested bush lemon tree. I cut out all the the infested bits and really had nothing but a stump. 12 months on and, after conditioning the soil with a generous amount of cast iron swarf from a local engineering company in addition too liberal amounts of seasol and conventional citrus fertiliser, the tree has come back like a champion. No sign of fruit yet, but tons of new green growth and no sign of reinfestation. I have hung 3 of those sticky yellow sheets as insurance throughout the tree in addition to 2 each in the newly planted lime and orange trees. both these new trees are bearing fruit. I'm betting that this unusually wet weather after the big dry has been a contributing factor.

Time: 17th June 2011 7:12pm

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Violet_Cactus says...
Be VERY CAREFUIL with the sticky gall wasp traps. If you are going to use them, hang them as close to the tree trunk as possible. There have been numerous occurrences of birds such as our native wattle birds settling on fruit trees to take nectar from flowers (and help with pollination) only to brush up against this lethal glue. One touch and they become stuck, after which they struggle to get free and only become more hopelessly entangled. In the end they fall helpless on the ground unable to fly and meet a horrible end in the jaws of cats or dogs. Wildlife rescue shelters have called for sticky traps to be banned.

Time: 18th June 2011 9:23pm

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amanda says...
I have heard of this too Violet - I won't use them for this reason. I would be devasted to cause this kind of harm to our birds....
Maybe they could be put inside something with access only big enuf' for the wasps (and a bit their fave food in there too...)?

Time: 19th June 2011 3:27pm

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John says...
I anticipated the damage to birds with the sticky gall wasp traps and hang them inside an empty bird cage from my lemon tree. This way the insects are trapped and the birds cannot be harmed.
I feel that this is the only way bird cages should be used anyway.

Time: 27th June 2011 11:05pm

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Maria says...
Gall wasp infestation: After thirty five years, my spliced lime & lemon tree, which was always inundated with large thin skinned tasty citrus, started to grow huge welts on the branches. My mandarin tree is untouched. But recently the lemon flowers stopped growing too. Worried,I visited Burke's backyard website today hoping to find a cure. Thanks to Burke, I hope that I have found the problem, and will be able o save my precious tree. There were no holes seen in the swellings, so I am not so sure it is a wasp that caused the problem.

Time: 5th July 2011 5:56pm

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billber says...
well what did you find from burke maria ??.

Time: 16th July 2011 9:13am

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Xiem says...
This site may be of interest:

http://www.bugsforbugs.com.au/product/Citrus-gall-wasp-parasite

Time: 16th July 2011 12:05pm

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Louise says...
Thanks culebra I like the sound of organic biological control. Does anyone know where I can buy some butterflies - Pupilio Anactus to release in my garden

Time: 24th December 2011 10:43am

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Mike says...
Dingy swallowtails are pretty widespread in Australia now and would not stay if you released them in the yard.Along with orchards and ambrax they give my citrus a bit of attention.The annonas can get a hiding from ther triangle butterflies.Lots of people grow melicope for ulysses, aristolochia for 3 types including birdwings and adenia for cruisers and lacewings around here.

Time: 24th December 2011 11:29am

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Xiem says...
Found this on the web. It may be of interest to some forum members.
Pictures - Click to enlarge
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Picture: 1

Time: 25th December 2011 12:30am

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Xiem says...
Trying again:

CT08000

Time: 25th December 2011 12:33am

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Xiem says...
If this doesn't work I'll give up.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 25th December 2011 12:37am

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Town farm says...
Has anyone tried netting their trees for the spring period that the wasp is active. Not practical for large trees granted but smaller and potted trees might be a solution.

Time: 5th March 2013 10:28am

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ROCKETSCIENCE says...
JUST CUT THE GALLS OPEN WITH A KNIFE (ONLY AS DEEP AS THE OUTSIDE LAYER AND ONLY THE GALLS WITHOUT HOLES THAT STILL HOLD THE LARVAE) THIS EXPOSES THE LARVAE AND DRIES THEM OUT. IT DOESN'T AFFECT THE TREE. REALLY LONG GALLS PROBABLY NEED TO GO.
DONT CUT BACK THE WHOLE TREE, AS NEW GROWTH IS WHAT THE WASPS NEED TO LAY EGGS IN. YOU ARE ONLY ENCOURAGING MORE WASPS WITH NEW GROWTH
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Time: 1st April 2015 12:38am

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CH says...
I am trying to identify if my dwarf Tahitian lime has citrus wasp or if it just the normal growth of the tree.

I have attached some photos (that are hopefully displayed in the order I uploaded them):
- the first 2 photos are of the same branch and you can see that the growths occur a lot where the new branches grow from the main branch. This growth appears to be similar to how a number of other branches start to grow, just more pronounced.
- the second 2 photos again show what looks like 2 new growths from the branches, the lower one being very swollen. The photos are of the same growths just different angles
- the last 2 photos (focus not great) are again of the same spots. The first is showing 3 growths that are like nodes on the branch, one where a branch is growing, 2 just above leaves growing. The second photo is a close up of one of the nodes.

If anyone has had experience with this and can help with identifying or treating it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
CH.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

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Time: 3rd May 2015 4:28pm

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About the Author CH
Melbourne
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Slicko says...
Gall wasp, I'd say

Time: 3rd May 2015 5:07pm

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CARINDALE,4152,QLD
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Markmelb says...
Yes youve got Gall wasp - I peel off the whiter areas trying not to ringbark the branch - this exposes the holes to the air and they die - doesnt seem to affect furthar growth - you may have a neighbour with an infested tree who doesnt care about controlng this annoying pest :(

Time: 3rd May 2015 5:10pm

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CH says...
Thanks for helping identify it.

Do you think that all the growths I've highlighted in my photos (which were posted in the wrong order!) are wasp or just parts?

My problem is the ones coming off the branches look a lot like different growth rather than wasp - I have seen trees with wasp before and it doesn't look like this. In fact a number of parts in the tree contain whiter parts. Could it just be the way the tree grows?

Also I think this means cutting the growths off because they surround the whole part of the branch (not just a lump growing out - except for the node ones). If I was to try and peel it off then all I will be doing is ringbarking it anyway.

Time: 5th May 2015 1:51pm

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Boris Spasky says...
There are plenty of good references on the web to identify CGW. Galls from prior seasons look different (dark brown).
I advise strongly against splicing the gall. Besides encouraging disease in the cooler wetter months, there are literally 100's of larvae in each gall which you cannot see easily. If you do this later in the year, you risk releasing the next generation of wasps.
Cut them off if you have positively identified them. Check again late winter for any you may have missed as they may not have started to swell.
Your lime will respond well to a prune.

Time: 5th May 2015 3:38pm

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Markmelb says...
We are all annoyed at this pest in Melb that came from the North for those in Victoria that love to grow citrus - some varieties get it worse or not at all (eg pomellos in my garden) Correct your lime as best you can - cut whole branch below gall and put in rubbish not in green bin or half ringbark before spring - now is OK - the Larvae will die on contact with air - enjoy your citrus and tell yor neighbours how to try and defeat this until the natural predator developes oneday

Time: 5th May 2015 5:42pm

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Chris says...
You've got it good down there Mark.
I only started swearing when QUEENSLAND fruit fly infected my fruit. Believe me, citrus gall wasp is a minor inconvenience in comparison.

Time: 5th May 2015 7:36pm

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About the Author Chris
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Markmelb says...
YES Chris you are so correct - no Fruit Fly Here Yet - hope it never gets here - I remember seeing FF traps in Albury about 7 years ago - hope our winters are too cold for them.

Time: 5th May 2015 8:05pm

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amature gardener says...
do I need bees to pollinate a bysesual papya ibought from you it is just starting to flower@ is there any way to stop gall wasp in a young mandarin tree

Time: 5th May 2015 10:30pm

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About the Author amature gardener
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Markmelb says...
No

Time: 5th May 2015 10:35pm

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CH says...
I thought I would give an update on my tree in case anyone is interested.

I cut off all the growths in the photo and they all contained gall wasp. Some of them I was a bit surprised because they looked like other 'normal' growths on my tree. So I decided to cut into the 'normal' growths a bit just to see and turns out they all had wasp too. Fair to say my tree has now had a bit of a prune.

Thanks to all who helped me with identifying it and the advice given, it was all very much appreciated.

Time: 9th May 2015 4:46pm

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