Anyone know what this is and how to treat it?

[dayna]

Link to photo:

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-sn...7161_n.jpg

Dayna

www.E-Z-Caps.com

[lquade]

looks like some sort of mite... oil spray will kill some. take a leaf in a sealed sandwich bag to tropical agi at uh and they can diagnose or master gardener...

[Carey]

Dayna, Those plants look like Hibiscus with Hibiscus mites....CTAHR has this on those mites (if they are hibiscus):
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/IP-7.pdf

Pruning of effected (galled) areas is recommended... be aware that there are good & bad mites! you do not want to kill the good mites, if possible (although I so resort to oil soap spray when then hibiscus are galled beyond a minor trim.... if you need any, we still have some

[dayna]

Thanks Carey that was just what I needed!

Dayna

www.E-Z-Caps.com

[bananahead]

like said before, it is a hibiscus gall mite. Its only been in Hawaii for a few years now, since 1989...
http://www.gardenguyhawaii.com/2011/10/h...-mite.html

The Aceria hibisci dont look like a mite you may be thinking of its more of a microscopic grub, ....if you visually see mites they are the good type that kill these bad type.... In my goings Ive found they are fairly easily killed (spray) but do come back from time to time, you will know when they are gone when the new growth is clean... some types of hibiscus gets these mites far worse than others.
PS. most if not all of the endemic Hawaiian species of hibiscus dont get this mite or if they do its very little

save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha