Help Inside Pest

[Nyboy]

I am not a house plant person, so not sure what to do. I have a meyers lemon tree that I bought inside in the fall. I just noticed webbing on a few branches, looking close I see very tiny white bugs moving around. They almost look like white ticks. What are they and the best way to get rid of them?

 

[Carol Dee]

Could be mealybugs see here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mealybug
Easy to rid them.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

The webbing sounds like spider mites... but white spider mites? You need a pretty good eye to even see the red ones. Spider mites love drier conditions - so if you don't mist/water/ wipe leaves down often...

 

[catjac1975]

I would agree with spider mites. Are you going to eat the lemons or is it for decor? If not eating use a systemic insecticide. If eating try neem oil. They are a real annoyance. They seem to be specific in their taste. so will not infest other plants.

 

[so lucky]

The tick shape sounds like a mite of some kind. Can you take it outside on a relatively warm day and spray it with a hose? that would be the least toxic, least laborious way to get rid of them.

 

[Nyboy]

want to eat should i bomb the room?

 

[digitS']

I don't think you should need to do anything with the room. Blasting them off with water, neem or insecticidal soap spray ...

If they drop and cover on the floor, just stomp around a little. Tiny, tiny! (If they are spider mites.) They'd be 80 years old before they could climb back up from the floor and re-infest the tree. (In spider mite years ...)

They have, however, this generational thing that must be egg to reproduction in about 48 hours! Therefore, anything you do to them today, you should do to them the day after tomorrow ... like that. Maybe a change-up on 'em if you catch sight of 'em again in about a week.

Steve
all dates and times are ruff estimates