Common Pests of Coffee

infested coffee plant

    Common Pests of Coffee

Berry Borer - It is the most destructive and hardest                      to control pest.

            - It attacks all the stages of berries

            - infested young berries turn from normal                     green to yellow orange in color

            - Infested young berries fall prematurely

            - Presence of empty or partially filled                       fruits underneath tree is a sure sign of                     infestation.

        Control:
: the plantation should not be top shaded and trees should be well-thinned of water sprouts. In infected plantations, waste pulp should be composted. All berries in the tree should be totally harvested to break the cycle of breeding. Chemical control by spraying should be started once a mass of adults appears but before they lay eggs. Spraying should be done every 2 weeks, 2-3 times during the season.

Coffee Stem borer This is the carpenter moth. The larva bores into twigs or the main stem of coffee and feeds on the tissue, causing the terminal position either to break off or wilt and die. Before braking off or wilting, an attacked branch may be detected because of the fecal pellets that issue out through the entrance hole of the larva.

         CONTROL

         gather all the infected twigs and split them open to destroy the insects inside. The larva may also be killed by fumigating; plugging the hole with a piece of cloth or waste cotton after the fumigant is introduced into the tunnel.

Scale Insects - They suck plant sap. They attack plants in nursery and in the field. The pest becomes abundant during the dry months.

         Control :

     -- natural enemies usually keep the green scales in check.        Spray insecticides every 2-3 weeks interval.

 Mealy Bugs - They infest the leaves, the young stem, the cluster      of berries or flower buds, or the sucker tips, where they        suck the sap. Affected portions are covered with spots of        sticky transparent honey dew or covered with crust of sooty      mold growing on the honeydew. Mealy bugs become most              abundant during the dry months. Heavily infested berry trees      lose their vigor and become stunted, often causing the            failure of the berries to mature properly.

         Control

     --: unwanted sucker growth should be removed promptly.
Reference;  *http://pinkhawk.hubpages.com/hub/coffee-production-philippines