I Almost Missed This Pest on My Young Avocado Trees

The best gardener isn't the one who never has problems—it's the one who notices them before they become disasters.- The Grey-Haired Gardener

Avocado leaf showing a bronzing or scorched effect due to the activity of Avocado Lace Bugs

The rainy season has settled in here, and like many gardeners, I've been spending less time in some corners of the garden. One area that has been getting less attention is my garden shed(greenhouse), where I keep several of my young grafted avocado plants.

When I finally took a closer look this week, I noticed something wasn't right.

 Closeup of the Avocado leaf          Photo: Shamela Rambadan

Several leaves had a pale, bronzed appearance, almost as though they had been dusted with a fine tan powder. 

Turning the leaves over revealed the culprit: avocado lace bugs.

The underside of the leaf showing avocado lace bugs, eggs and faecal matter

How to Spot Avocado Lace Bug

One of the easiest ways to identify this pest is by looking at both sides of the leaf.

On the Upper Surface

• Yellow or pale tiny spots
• Bronzed or scorched appearance
• Brown patches as damage worsens

On the Underside

• Tiny insects clustered along leaf veins
• Dark, shiny specks of faecal matter
• Eggs and immature stages hidden beneath the leaf

 Avocado lace bugs and droppings on the underside of the avocado leaf 

The insects feed by sucking sap from the leaves, reducing the plant's ability to photosynthesize efficiently.

Why I Didn't Notice Them Earlier

The constant rain has meant fewer visits to the greenhouse area. 

The trees looked reasonably healthy from a distance, and the damage only became obvious when I inspected the leaves closely.

It's a good reminder that pests don't take a rainy-season vacation.

Using the Macro setting on my phone camera, I captured a clearer close‑up of the avocado lace bug.                           Photo: Shamela Rambadan

What I'm Doing About It

Since these are still young, grafted trees, I'll be:

• Removing heavily infested leaves
• Monitoring the plants weekly
• Improving air circulation around the trees
• Using a neem oil treatment during a dry spell, making sure to spray the undersides of the leaves where the insects hide
• When pests get out of hand, chemical control may sometimes be the only way to achieve quick knockdown. But whenever you can, choose biological treatments — they’re gentler on your garden and safer for the environment.

It's one thing to treat a young, grafted tree that's shoulder high. 

It's quite another when your avocado has grown into a towering shade tree. 

By then, reaching the underside of thousands of leaves becomes nearly impossible without specialized equipment like a mist blower.

Early detection (your best weapon)

This is still the most effective strategy.

Small infestations are easy to manage.

Large infestations become difficult.

Early intervention is usually enough to prevent serious damage.

Garden Lesson of the Week

Sometimes the most important gardening tool isn't a fertilizer or a spray bottle—it's simply taking a few minutes to look closely at your plants.

Those few minutes can save weeks of recovery later.

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Have you ever discovered a pest problem only after it had been quietly building for weeks? Tell me about it in the comments.

Grey hair, green thumb, proud of my roots.

thegreyhairedgardener.blogspot.com