Something is Eating my Citrus Trees

[Valliam13]

Something is eating my trees. I have a naval orange, a guava, and a lemon tree. The orange tree and guava are old enough to produce fruit but the lemon tree started as a sapling (I got all my trees around this time last year). But what is eating them and what can I use to eliminate the pests? The leaves are being eaten like a caterpillar ate them. The lemon tree has this "slime" looking residue. I can't find any bugs or critters on the trees anywhere (I turn the leaves over to look).

Also, my orange tree appears to be thick of leaves in some areas and not so thick.

I honestly have no idea how to care for any of these trees. I give them copper fungicide and malathion in the summer. I also give them plant food (I call them poo pellets because that's what they smell like). So any advice on how to take care of the pests and overall health of my citrus trees would be greatly appreciated.

I do not have a green thumb so how they've lasted the year surprises me but I want them to survive and produce fruit so please help! TIA.

[0utlaw]

Sounds like Orange Worms but I am by no means an expert, I've killed more citrus than urban sprawl.

[W.Lynn]

Outlaw, bragging?

[0utlaw]

No Ma'am, none of it was intentional...

[airdrop]

With slime being seen I wonder about slugs ???
How to Treat Citrus Trees with Chewed Leaves | Home Guides | SF Gate
https://homeguides.sfgate.com › Garden › Pest Control

Citrus trees are excellent choices for home orchards, since they are reliable and require little special care. Generally hardy, citrus trees are very attractive to a variety of pests that chew on leaves, such as slugs, snails, caterpillars, beetles and katydids.

[Valliam13]

So I never see slugs, snails or anything like that near any of my trees but we do have slugs and snails in the yard. I think what I have a leaf miner on my lemon tree, possibly black scale on my guava and orange trees and maybe an asian citrus psyllid. Of course the internet scares me. I'm going to try to post some pics.

[Valliam13]

[W.Lynn]

Use Ziploc baggies, and take samples of each specific kind of damage (leaves showing multiple stages of chewed-ness, the black slime, any sample bugs you do find, etc.) Separate baggies. I don't care if bugs die.

Show the samples to someone at the county ag extension office, the better gardening shops, the local garden club, whoever you can find. Home improvement store too, if they have a Master Gardener working there.

They may have some crazy sounding stuff to try, or something as cheap as spraying with diluted dish soap.

[Valliam13]

Thank you. I've considered doing that but I just have no time right now. I bought Spinosad, neem oil and a broad spread insecticide for now. I'm hoping this cold front coming through will do something bad to the bad bugs. Since I've been spraying the trees I've seen more bugs, like a green grasshopper? and some ugly bugs and more black dirt looking stuff. With it being peak tax season, I just don't have the extra time like I used to.

[olfart]

Contrary to popular opinion, bugs are not universally impacted by cold weather. Mother Nature tells them it's coming, and they burrow into some warmer spot to survive it.

[Valliam13]

Yeah I figured that out considering they're still on my trees. The ag extension office here just googles stuff. I mean I can do that and that's what I did before I bought the chemicals I did. Who else can I go to or have come look at my trees?