Question
Hello Mike
I have had an improved Meyers Lemon in a container for a little over a year in a container, primarily in the house.  This tree has a pest that might be scale or a mite.  I find this pesty mainly on the green branches occasionally on the woody branches and the leaves.  Currently, the tree is going through a major leaf drop.  I have sprayed/rubbed the branches with a home prepared essential oil preparation that seems to be ridding the the tree of these pests.  The older larger ovoid shaped 'adults'(?) appear to be drying up and are less adhered to the branch.  Yet i still observe tiny little clumps of clear/whitish bumps that i take as eggs or a larval stage occurring.  I remove these by hand or with a bit of tissue lightly sprayed with my 'home remedy'  The tree had these same pests last year, i treated them the same  which seemed to eradicate come Spring.  Yet the tree did not experience this radical of leaf fall.  In the past week the tree has lost 60 of it's leaves.  I water appropriately, maintain a slightly acid growing media, and provide approximately 10- 12 hours of sunlight via grow bulbs.

Any suggestions for this pest?  Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

aaleyth

Answer
Although horticultural oil is the preferred method of killing pests and destroying their eggs, too much can burn the leaves and cause leaf drop. I would switch to either pyrethrum or rotenone. Both are organic controls and can be sprayed liberally on the plant.

I am attaching two links that offer both of these products in addition to numerous other organic controls. I hope these prove beneficial.

http://www.gardensalive.cm

http://www.planetnatural.com

Good luck, and please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike