When I first moved to Marco Island in 1980 it was common for homes to have citrus trees in the yard. The downward spiral of the dooryard citrus started with the many hurricanes that crisscrossed our area. These storms uprooted and tore root systems that developed root rot diseases many years later. One by one these beautiful, mature citrus trees began to die and the days of walking out the door, picking oranges and making fresh juice came to an end.
Unfortunately, around this same time two devastating diseases of citrus began to infest newly planted trees. Citrus cancer was first and at one time you were required to remove your trees if infested with cancer. The disease became too widespread to try to control. But they have since developed a cancer resistant variety.
Next was citrus greening. This disease is spread by an insect and attacks the vascular system of the trees. The Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama) is almost impossible to control as is citrus greening. Researchers are working to also develop a disease resistant variety for greening. And the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry has a biological control program to release the Citrus psyllid wasp (Tamarixia radiata) across Florida’s dooryard citrus plantings. You can sign up for this program at fdacs.gov/TRA. And you will have to have an insecticidal free zone around the tree so you don’t kill these helpful wasps. Plus, control ants by placing a barrier of Tanglefoot or other non-insecticidal barrier at the base of the tree. Ants can decrease the effectiveness of wasp control by 85 percent…