Hello,

I have a regular pest problem on my citrus trees. The pests I have the most problems with are aphids (farmed by ants) and leafminers.
Some time ago (before I went organic), I bought a systemic pest control that you paint onto the bark of the trees, that controls these problems. The active ingredient is ACETAMIPRID. Can anyone tell me if ACETAMIPRID is OK as far as organic gardening is concerned? What are the long term effects? How quickly does it break down? Does it have any effect on the fruit? Does it have any effect on the soil?

Thanx in advance.

I've not seen this listed on any acceptable list of organic products and the MSDS' I've found all indicate the ingrediants are hazardous to humans, although Cornells information sheet indicates there is possibly low toxicity.

Acetamiprid is a serious chemical. Here are the toxicology results for it, and a petition to the feds to allow its use:

http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2004/September/Day-15/p20680.htm

It's definitely not anything that an organic grower would use. Scroll down, you'll see where they tested it on rats and dogs. The results don't sound that bad, but a lot of chemicals that are allowed in agriculture in this country don't sound that bad, and do we want those on our food?

If it's really only aphids you have, you can hose down your tree with a strong blast of water from the hose, your thumb over the end. Get the undersides of leaves as well. Do this every other day for a few days, each time there should be fewer and fewer of them. You'd think they'd crawl back up, but they don't.

You can also use insecticidal soap in a spray. Repeat if it rains.

And usually when a citrus tree has aphids in a bad way, it is stressed, not enough water or the soil isn't working for it. Does it look healthy otherwise? Very dark green, glossy leaves? No breaks on the trunk or branches? It's fruiting well? Does it have plenty of air circulation? One side is not up against a building? Are its roots in touch with the foundation of a house (cement is very alkyline) It's in the ground and not in a pot? Do you live in a humid climate?

Generally I have found that aphids are problems on plants that are fed too much nitrogen and have nice, lush, green growth that produces lots of sap the aphids like to suck on. Get the soil in proper health so the plants are growing strong and healthy and the aphids won't be there. But in the meantime a strong blast of water, either from the hose or a 1 quart sprayer, will knock them off.

Consistent and scheduled watering seems to make a real difference in the stress levels. My roses have gotten much more consistent watering this year due to our wet spring, and they are more lush than ever, and not a single aphid.

Citrus can be difficult. I have a lemon and 2 orange trees, so I know, but they are worth it.

The first step is to prevent the ants from getting into the trees and protecting the aphids. For this you can use Tangletrap, a nontoxic sticky substance, which creates a barrier that ants can't cross. It must be renewed from time to time. Also make sure that the citrus leaves don't touch any other plants or structures so the ants can't cross over. Once the ants are gone, you start spraying with Safer's Soap, OR buy ladybugs.

The same works for scale, which can be a problem with citrus. Don't know anything about leaf miners, though.

Thanx for the info on Acetamiprid, and the info on controlling aphids. Actually, controlling the aphids is not the major problem. The major problem is the leaf miners. They do a lot more damage, and since they are inside the leaves and not on the surface, it's not possible to just wash them off. Can anybody offer a solution for them?