Do leaf-footed bugs cause poms to drop? The outer layer of arils next to the skin to rot yes.

Fighting them isn't easy. Ba$%ards!

I read that they pierce the fruit with their "mouthparts". This results in the black areas you find when cutting them open. The area then splits and their babies move in!
All the ones I have lost had this damage. All they are good for is to cut away the black and give the rest to the chickens. At least they are happy.

I have this same problem - what are you supposed to do? Spray with chemicals on something you'd like to eat . . . think not!

But the bastards just keep returning - if I spray the tree off they just fly to the next-nearest bush and wait until I have left. Killing individuals one by one is NOT realistic either - I just give up and see what turns out OK VS. all the cracked/spotted fruits . . . ugh, so irritating!

My pom trees are infested with these nasty bugs too, I get maybe one good pom out of 10...the other 9 get fed to the chickens. They look good too, until you cut them open. I squish a few of them here and there, but it does no good. If anyone comes up with a good plan of attack for these bugs, please share!

Kevin

I tried spraying individuals (bugs) but was using the wrong chemical. I would go out as close to daily as I could. I think I will do this next year. The chemicals I read that work are: permethrin, cyfluthrin, esfenvalerate. A spreader sticker was recommended as well. I will use a pinpoint spray and get the bug only as much as possible. Their exoskeleton protects them from sprays.

The Only caution was to observe the time-to-harvest. Supposedly after time in inactivates.
I can't find anything more on whether it soaks into the fruit, just the time-to-harvest info.

I put so much care into that tree, only to have them ruined.

Good luck guys. Fruit trees are always a difficult one.

Wouldn't hurt to release some lacewing larvae/eggs. Those guys are pretty voracious and eat all sorts of pests eggs. Might want to also plant some flowers that will attract the beneficial insects mentioned on the UC IPM website.

Kevin

Here is a link that might be useful: Leaf footed bug

This post was edited by woohooman on Sat, Nov 1, 14 at 12:18

edit: double post

This post was edited by woohooman on Sat, Nov 1, 14 at 12:19

Good suggestions woohooman - I will give the lacewings a shot this coming spring - we just harvested the fruit today and we still got a decent amount of fruit that is good

I did notice that if I remove the area around where any penetrating damage is done, the rest of the fruit is mostly good.

{{gwi:423051}}

just double checking for bugs!
{{gwi:423052}}

I have the same problem. In 4-5 yrs, I've managed to get maybe one good pomegranate. This yr, i see them I spray with ammonia and they die. Damage is usually done though by the time I spot them. I've put large organza bags over them which helps a little.

I had a flush of new poms grow after the monsoons. Any hope they will ripen?

I have the same problem. In 4-5 yrs, I've managed to get maybe one good pomegranate. This yr, i see them I spray with ammonia and they die. Damage is usually done though by the time I spot them. I've put large organza bags over them which helps a little.

I had a flush of new poms grow after the monsoons. Any hope they will ripen?

I've never had any fruit set that late in season on my small tree. . . flowers in spring which fruit and mature over the summer

Kevin,
Were those ripe already? Usually mine aren't ready until December.

Toucan: AMMONIA? Do you see them die right away? I need to write this down.

Ammonia or ammonia based household cleaner does seems to work. With other sprays, they fly or crawl away and come right back. One or two sprays of ammonia and they fall off. I don't see them coming back. I was told they lay eggs in the mulch or litter on the ground so to keep that swept up but that's impossible for me since I have a lot of mulch. I was really considering removing my poms due to this bug. Hope this helps.

Looks to me the techniques used to eliminate squash bugs works on leaf footed bugs. Of course, the techniques that work on squash bugs are a daily task.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74168.html

http://www.phoenixpermaculture.org/forum/topics/overrun-with-squash-bugs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT5exU7yEtU#t=24

they are actually quite red and juicy so i believe they are - we have harvested second or third week of November the last two years but pulled them yesterday because of the bugs and birds

Toucan:

The ammonia worked! It doesn't seem to have injured the plant, either.

Watch out next year, you evil bugs.

I am so sad my fruit has been ruined. I took such good care of that tree this year.

I don't know how feasible this is with a large pomegranate tree but my solution to squash bugs with my pumpkins/squash is row covers. I only cover them during the mating portion of their season (late May to early July) and that keeps them off for the rest of the season.