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Aculops fuchsiae

The fuchsia gall mite (Aculops fuchsiea) is on its way through Europe.

The fuchsia gall mite (Aculops fuchsiae) is a very dangerous pest, which causes severe damages at fuchsias, prohibiting their blooming and strongly affecting their development. It is very hard to fight against the pest. Therefor their spread in Europe must be prevented.Because of its dangerousness the mite is - according to European right (2000/29/EG Annex IIA) - a pest , whose dispersion and carry-over in to or within the European states is prohibited and obligated to report. Aculops fuchsiae has been reported for the first time 1972 near Sao Paulo (Brasil). In 1981 it was introduced San Francisco (USA) an spread over southern California, later also to Oregon und Washington state. In 2003 the pest for the first time has been reported in Europe and spread in the western parts of France (Bretagne und Loire-Valley). 2006 it reached the canal islands of Guernsey and Jersey, in summer 2007 it hit the mainland of England. In Germany there was only in 2005 one case in the area of Wolfshagen near Kassel, which could be stopped; wmore cases are not known. From Africa, Asia and Oceania to include Australia there are no reports.

Currently the following regions are infected:
in France the Brittany as shown at the map below, and
in the United Kingdom infections on the isle of Jersey and in somme gardends in southern England seemed to be stopped, but a new case of infection is reportet from Ilseworth in Middlesex.

It seems that aculops is dispersed mainly by birds, bees, and wind, but also by gardener's fingers or fuchsia lovers, who transport the mite with plants or cuttings.If plants are infected, the possibilities to fight the gall mite are limited and depending on national laws partialle restricted for non-comercial gardeners. Mainly the plants have to be treated with an akarizid or an aphizid (against plant louses), but available means do not destroy the whole mite population.

Therefor Euro-Fuchsia's warning: Do not bring fuchsia plants or cuttings from the infection areas to other parts of Europe.

Euro-Fuchsia : Members : Fuchsias : Meetings : Aculops fuchsiae : Contact