Fuchsia Gall Mite

First found in 1981 in The United States, fuchsia gall mite prefers great summers, therefore it poses a specific difficulty in areas of California. Highly contagious, the wormlike mite travels to fuchsia plant on whatever comes with it, including hummingbirds, bees, gloves and gardening resources, leaving a path of destruction behind from fuchsia plant.

Damage

As the fuchsia gall mite feeds on crops, it leaves toxins behind that trigger leaves and stems to become reddened, blistered and swollen. Galls — lumps — kind on the plant tissue at the same time. The mite lives and finally attacking the whole plant and reproducing and halting flower creation.

Susceptible Types

Fuchsia types are more susceptible to gall mite than the others. Avoid planting the cultivars Angel’s Flight, Bi Centennial, Capri, China Doll, Christy, Dark Eyes, Show, Firebird, First Love, Fuschia magellanica, Golden Anne, Jingle Bells, Kaleidoscope, Kathy Louise, Lisa, Louise Emershaw, Manrinka, Novella, Papoose Raspberry, South Gate, Stardust, Swingtime, Tinker Bell Troubadour, Vienna Waltz, Voodoo or Westergeist types.

Treating

For crops currently infested with fuchsia gall mite, prune the places that are broken before you see tissue. Dispose of the cuttings in the trash, maybe not your compost pile, therefore you don’t infect other fuchsia crops. Summer oil or soap used after pruning to the whole plant will cease a few of the mites that are remaining, but perhaps not these left in any galls that are remaining, therefore prune all tissue that is broken . Continue normal program of oil or the soap every seven to 10 times throughout the growing period. For infestations that are especially poor, prune the plant to 30 to 36-inches in the winter. Spray the whole plant with summer oil. As quickly as the plant develops development in the spring, start normal programs of soil oil or insecticidal soap.

Prevention

The the easiest method to to avoid gall mites would be to plant cultivars that have reduced susceptibility or are either resistant to the pest. These types contain Fuschia microphylla ssp, Child Chang, Chance Encounter Cinnabarina Fuschia minutiflora. “Hindalgensis,” Fuschia radicans, Fuschia thymifolia, Is-Is, Mendocino Mini, Miniature Jewels, Mrs. Victor Reiter, Ocean Mist, Space Shuttle and Trumpeter.

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