Fuchsia Gall Mite
(Aculops Fuchsiae)
It’s probably something numerous fuchsia enthusiasts have heard about, but how many of them would recognize the symptoms of Fuchsia Gall Mite?
The main reason for including this topic on a separate page is not to suggest this problem is prevalent, but to give the necessary information on the procedure of dealing with this invasive and troublesome pest as quickly as possible, thus reducing the possibility of it spreading.
Included below are a few website addresses that will enable anyone to gain access to the relevant information and be able to take the necessary action should any of their fuchsias appear to suffer from this dreadful complaint.
Royal Horticultural Society
Food & Environment Research Agency
BBC
Daily Telegraph
Horticulture Week
Anyone who suspects they have fuchsia plants infested with Fuchsia Gall Mite should contact their local FERA Plant Health & Seeds Inspectorate Office. This can be done by using the email address link below.
planthealth.info@fera.gsi.gov.uk
Urgent Update!
Fuchsia Gall Mite in Gosport, Hampshire
August 2010
I feel it my duty to inform you so you can get word out and inform all members that my collection has Fuchsia Gall Mite!
I have informed Defra, RHS and BFS, but I also wanted this information promulgated to local fuchsia lovers asap!
Thankfully for some strange reason, probably my health, I have not been to any shows or passed on any cuttings this year thank goodness!
I have a collection of over 40 varieties and have been a past member. Due to my health I have been forced to give up my
competition horses and swimming, so other than my family, my fuchsias were my everything. It is completely heartbreaking.
I have looked at neighbours gardens and can confirm that my next door neighbours have it and the house across the road from me, so this is not an isolated case.
I have cut them all back (crying as I did so) and am now spraying them with a mix of 70% alcohol and 30% hand gel mix base from hospitals – as the American Fuchsia Society has some success with this in the US.
Any further advice would be great, but I mainly wanted you to inform your members ASAP.
With Kind Regards
Elizabeth Graney
What are the possibilities of ridding ourselves of Fuchsia Gall Mite quickly?
Not very good, judging by the past experiences of certain countries already involved with the attack of this troublesome pest. For instance, certain districts in the U.S.A. have had Fuchsia Gall Mite attacks for several years now.
An article in a bulletin on the A.F.S. website, that a possible contributory factor encouraging fuchsia gall mite to attack our favourite flower, was the speciality hybridizing of the massive American double varieties. These large doubles are apparently the least resistant to this particular pest. It was mentioned that ‘Santa Cruz’, a semi double, is the only one that comes anywhere near to a double having even a slight resistance to Fuchsia Gall Mite.
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