Citrus Gall Wasps

We sure do love to help our customers at Better Pets and Gardens, with all their pet and garden needs. But sometimes, even we don’t have something that will quickly solve a problem!

Did you know that Citrus Gall Wasps have moved over to WA from Queensland and northern New South Wales and they might be living in your fruit trees. The first sightings of the pest were in Eden Hill in2013.

The trees will still fruit and grow although over time these beasties will be robbing the plant of nutrients and ultimately cause problems. One of our own staff recently realised that her lemon, orange and grapefruit trees had been invaded by these pests so we thought we’d bring it to everyone’s attention.

Ideally, right now before the gall wasps mature and escape their little cocoon is the best time to give your trees a partial pruning and remove the gall itself. While the gall is whole and a silvery colour, it means the wasps are still inside, growing and stealing nutrients.

Once the gall shows tiny little pin prick holes and browns out, it is too late and the mature wasps have escaped and will set up camp on new shoots to create new galls and start the cycle again.

Pruning the galls in August and September is advised by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development which is right before the wasps start to emerge as adults in October. This fabulous info sheet gives good information on how to manage them and remember to dispose of the prunings thoughtfully so the spread of them through rubbish isn’t possible.

Click on the download button for your fact sheet from the agric.wa.gov.au