Meyer Lemon – Sucking Insects
![Meyer lemon insect 1 | Walter Reeves: The Georgia Gardener](https://t9e4s3i5.rocketcdn.me/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Meyer-lemon-insect-1-600x600.jpg)
Q: What is wrong with my patio lemon tree? I see no bugs.
A: The two pictures together give me what I need to see. The tiny “spots” on the leaf indicate a sap-sucking insect like scale, whitefly or maybe aphids. The black sooty appearance of lower leaves confirms this. Sucking insects excrete honeydew which falls onto lower surfaces and serves as a food source for sooty mold.
Since you might be considering eating the lemons, I recommend you use an organic spray like neem (click for sources), thoroughly sprayed onto the back of the leaves. This will suffocate the insects.