I'm about to have a major outbreak...

...but of what??

I have this small citrus tree (lime, I think, but it's never borne fruit), that suddenly has millions of these black dots- eggs, I assume. There's also a whitish stuff on some of the leaves, nearby.

Here's a closeup...

And here's a shot of some of the leaves. It's on EVERY LEAF like this.

Any ideas? I really need to find out what they are before they're unleashed. If it was only one or two leaves, I'd separate them and keep an eye on it, but this is a total takeover attempt...lol...

Thanks in advance!

I'd take your hose and give the whole plant a good strong blast, that should hopefully knock most of the stuff off.

That looks like a black whitefly that I had on some of my plants. I found this: called the mulberry whitefly and its host plant is citrus: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7401.html. They look like black flat seeds with some white fringe around them. Use horticultural oil.

Well, that link doesn't work. Will try to improve on that.....

Another link http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=1246015
And here's what the other link said: (Tetraleurodes mori) Host plants: citrus, other trees
Characteristics: Nymphs have blackish, oval bodies with white, waxy fringe.

This message was edited Jul 26, 2007 8:57 PM

Well, this time it worked. Weird.....
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7401.html

Here's another link:
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/citrus/citrus_blackfly.htm

This message was edited Jul 28, 2007 12:09 AM

Or....quite possibly............Citrus blackfly (Aleurocanthus woglumi) http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/wogl.html

You'll be able to tell which they are by looking at them more closely, perhaps with a magnifying lens. Can't tell from here if they have the spines...

Thanks much, CJ! I don't think it's the second one; the eggs are not in a spiral. I did try blasting them with the hose, but they're pretty sticky. It was time for another ladybug release anyway, and one of those first two articles you linked to said they could eat the larve.

We'll see how it goes, but thank you so much for your help, and I'll post to update on the ladybug's progress!

Only a few species of lady beetles feed on whitefly. Be sure you have the right one. The lady beetles commonly sold are the convergent lady beetle, and they do not feed on whitefly. You will need the Scymnus, or the twice-stabbed or the Harmonia. Harmonia are very common, but they aren't sold. Twice-stabbed, smaller black lady beetles with a red spot on each wing cover, aren't as common, but they came to the rescue and demolished the scale on my oleanders. Again, they aren't sold commercially. I don't know about the Scymnus. They are tiny lady beetles...

You could try the tiny parasitic wasp Encarsia formosa since you live in Louisiana (not hardy, but may overwinter outdoors in mild areas). It is a most effective whitefly parasite, and is sold commercially.

Good luck! Let me know what happens, please.

you could even spray it with plain old Pam if the tree isn't very big. i think oil is the only thing that is going to clear this many pests on one tree.