Menu
Fuchsia gall mite (Aculops fuchsiae) is a microscopic pest that affects fuchsia plants. These mites feed on the plant’s tissue, causing severe distortion and swelling, particularly on new growth. As the mites suck sap from the leaves and stems, they inject toxic saliva, leading to the formation of abnormal, swollen galls—hence the name “gall mite.” These galls are often reddish or deformed, giving the plant a twisted, stunted appearance.
The damage from fuchsia gall mites can be devastating, as it hampers flower production and overall plant health. Infestations tend to spread rapidly, especially in warm, dry conditions.
The fuchsia gall mite (Aculops fuchsiae) was first recognized as an invasive species in San Francisco, California, USA, in 1981. It spread quickly along California’s coast and more slowly inland. In 2003, the first record in Europe came from Brittany, France. It was later found in Germany in 2005, in Guernsey and Jersey in 2006, and in southern mainland UK in 2007. It continues to spread across the UK making its way further north and west potentially due to the warming climate.
The pathway for its introduction to California is unknown. However, it’s believed that the mite was introduced to France and Germany by gardeners who brought infested fuchsia cuttings from visits to the USA. In the UK and Jersey, it may have arrived through infested plants from South America or spread naturally from France via wind, insects, birds, or clothing in contact with infected plants. It is unknown where the first outbreak in the UK originated from.
Gall Mite was first found in the UK in 2007 and has since spread north reaching up to Leeds and a westerly limit across the country from Abertawe to Wrecsam.
For more information on the spread of FGM visit Harper & Debbage’s website.
There are a number of ways to deal with Fuchsia Gall Mite ranging from pruning to experimental treatments that have had some successes. I have purposely excluded the chemical options as all of the chemicals that are known to be effective are now banned from the UK market:
Pruning
The most recomended and least likely to work is to prune the damaged growth (bagged & disposed in general waste) and hope for the best with the likelihood being that you will not be able to remove all of the mites and being in the same situation in a couple of weeks
Destroying
Another option that the British Fuchsia Society & The RHS list is to dig up, bag and dispose of the plant in your general waste bin or to bury/burn it and then re-buy a new plant to replace it. This may work in the short term but if FGM got to your garden in the first place then it is likely to lead to long term re-infestation.
One of the most overlooked and possibly the most important method to help your plants to recover. Although not technically a treatment, making sure to feed the Fuchsias regularly has proved to be a very effective part of treating FGM for me. Without food your fuchsias will find it harder to produce new plant material (especially if they’re in pots) and limit the recovery after pruning damaged growth.
hfhbakf
htxhtgd
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Fuchsia Cymru