Annona Pests

[fruitmonger]

A few pictures of my Annona squamosa (sugar apple) with new Spring leaves and early flowers.

Along with images of young annona leaves of squamosa and muricata (guanabana) infested with aphids and Gonodonta nutrix (citrus fruitpiercer) caterpillars.

Caterpillars were plucked and crushed and aphids are on their 2nd day of insecticidal soap dousing.

Really hate those little sap suckers.

The nibblers (caterpillars) are satisfying to squish.....the aphids....idk....spraying them off with the hose makes me feel like the ants will just gather them up and go deposit their succulent little fat bodies on some other plant I am trying to baby.

The soapy water i know will kill them eventually but the way they are still there and looking fit as a fiddle for a few days like they are just waiting for a bath makes me hate them even more.

If you haven't noticed yet having just a few trees makes it to where I can lavish a ridiculous amount of attention to each of them.

[fruitmonger]

[cbss_daviefl]

In the US, Annona reticulata = custard-apple. Annona squamosa = sugar-apple.

In two months, the cuban beetles will be out chomping annona new leaves. The timing coincides with Annona reticulata re-foliation. The beetles can consume all the new leaves just as they emerge from the bud. If that happens more than once, a small to medium sized tree can die.

[mangokothiyan]

In the US, Annona reticulata = custard-apple. Annona squamosa = sugar-apple.

In two months, the cuban beetles will be out chomping annona new leaves. The timing coincides with Annona reticulata re-foliation. The beetles can consume all the new leaves just as they emerge from the bud. If that happens more than once, a small to medium sized tree can die.

I think that is what happened to my green caimito as well. Was a healthy little tree, growing really well, and then something started eating its leaves. I should have used some systemic insecticide as the plant was still small, but before I knew, the tree, which was about 3 ft tall, died. 

[fruitmonger]

In the US, Annona reticulata = custard-apple. Annona squamosa = sugar-apple.

In two months, the cuban beetles will be out chomping annona new leaves. The timing coincides with Annona reticulata re-foliation. The beetles can consume all the new leaves just as they emerge from the bud. If that happens more than once, a small to medium sized tree can die.

Thank you for pointing out my error....originally I was thinking one thing and typing another.

My reticulata have not yet emerged from their dormancy so no pests on it...yet.

Not really sure why the custard apple has not pushed new growth....my rolinia is growing and my guanabana are growing although not as vigorously as the others.

[Guanabanus]

If soap spray dries quickly, it accomplishes little or nothing.  Only spray in slow-drying conditions.

[fruitmonger]

If soap spray dries quickly, it accomplishes little or nothing.  Only spray in slow-drying conditions.

Thank you for the tip Har.

Yesterday I sprayed early in the AM when dew was still forming and by the time I got home they were all crispy...

I was a happy camper

[fruitmonger]

Upon inspecting one of my Sugar Apple trees recently I noticed an area that was oozing a clear sap that was pooling down the branch and on to the main trunk.  I had cleaned something similar off the branch earlier but the secretion seemed to be more pronounced this time and in cleaning it I noticed the substance was slimy.

Almost like mucous and dark wherever it had accumulated.

I took a wet paper towel and the hose and cleaned the area tracing the secretion back to its source on the branch.

There I could see a small hole about 1 to 1.5 mm in diameter.  Its edges were a perfect dark black circle.

I do not know exactly what was causing it but decided it must be the work of some sort of boring beetle.

Having read that these sort of insects can deposit and infest different funguses into their host plants upon which they feed I was eager to attempt to stop it if possible so I removed the branch and disposed of it.

I cut a good bit south of where the hole was but since the cut wood did not clean I went further down and cut again.

I nearly got to the trunk and left it at that.

As the branch has looked to heal I noticed that the branch itself is oozing some sap and it looks dark.

When I pruned in the spring none of the branches seemed to do that.


So my question is....is anyone aware of a particular pest that bores holes into annona here in S Florida?

Is there reason to worry that this bug activity could cause my tree much harm?

Is there something I can do to avoid such problems in the future?

Not sure if my preventive pruning has or will have any benefit.

I was sort of bummed to loose a very otherwise healthy and productive looking banch as it was loaded with new growth and flowers that were just about ready to open.

Any help would be appreciated

[Guanabanus]

Ambrosia beetles, and others, are attracted to stressed trees.  Stressed by cold or heat, soggy soil or dry soil, nutritional deficiencies, etc.

[fruitmonger]

Dang it....I have an Avocado tree nearby with Laurel Wilt.

It has had ambrosia beetles and although it was identified as having laurel wilt it seems to have resisted it.

It grew vigorously for many years despite being infected and fruited heavily yearly.

After a heavy prune to shape and manage the height of the tree it had a major die back to where I thought it was finally toast.

Somehow it has sprouted back and is growing like crazy.

I was on the verge of removing the tree but when it came back strong I resisted.

I imagine that this tree is like the Thyphoid Mary of Ambrosia beettle and laurel wilt disease too.

I need to bite the bullet and cut that sucker down and burn it.

So...only stressed annona are susceptible to ambrosia beetle?

[Guanabanus]

Any stressed tree. 

I doubt your avocado has the wilt, if it actually grows back, and actually keeps on fruiting for years.