• 100% Organic. Australian Registered Garden Product.
• Active Constituent: 830 g/L Paraffinic Oil Unsulphonated residue not less than 98.0%.
• Made from naturally occurring organic constituents.

Organic pest control of aphids in the home garden

Aphids commonly appear on flushes of new growth and quite often they will only remain on the plant for a short period of time. Generally, if there are predatory insects in the area such as ladybird larvae, the aphids will be kept under control.

Organic pest control of citrus leaf miner on citrus trees in the home garden

Citrus leafminer (Phyllocnistis citrella) tunnels through the young leaves of citrus trees which creates silvery lines. Finally, it curls the leaf into a shelter and pupates within. This can severely distort the leaves, but mature trees are not likely to be seriously damaged.

The presence of this pest can be identified by the silvery lines it leaves on leaves. These are the tunnels left by the larvae as it ‘mines’ its way through the insides of the leaf. Leafminers can cause a lot of damage to trees and the leaves will become severely distorted. When the larvae are fully grown, they curl the leaf edges and shelter inside the curled section.

Organic pest control of whitefly in the home garden

Whiteflies resemble tiny white moths, yet are actually relatives of aphids and mealy bugs and are a sap-sucking insect that congregate in large numbers on individual plants. There are over 20 species of whitefly in Australia and although can be found on ornamental plants, they are most commonly found on many vegetable species and congregate underneath the foliage. Whiteflies are easily spotted by witnessing small clouds of insects as they take flight on disturbance of plants. Whitefly breed and lay eggs on the underside of the foliage of plants and the newly emerged nymphs and adults cause discolouration of the leaves.

Organic pest control of scale on plants in the home garden

Scale are sap-sucking insects which commonly affect home grown citrus. In severe infestations, the foliage becomes covered by a sooty black mould. This is because the scale insect secretes a sugary substance which causes the sooty mould to blossom over the foliage.

The sooty mould looks terrible but is not an active threat other than to reduce photosynthesis which will weaken the tree over time. Incidentally, check for ant activity as ants are usually the culprits for bringing the scale onto the citrus in the first place. The ants shift scale from plant to plant and they feed from the sugary secretions of the scale insect. So if there is ant activity in the tree, you may need to also control the ants or prevent them from accessing the tree.

One way to do this is by putting a grease band around the tree trunk which will prevent the ants gaining access onto the tree. Also check that branches are not touching the ground or other trees as this will also give the ants access.

‍