Overview
- What pests affect pineapple?
- Pineapple mealybug
- Pineapple fruit fly
- Pineapple red mites
- Pineapple fruit borer
- Pineapple scale insects
- Root rot
- Pineapple thrips
- How do I manage pineapple pests?
- Summary
Pineapple is a significant global crop that contributes to the economies of Ghana, India and the United States. A variety of pests cause damage to pineapple plants, significantly reducing crop yields and affecting marketability. This article focuses on primary pineapple pests and diseases that affect this crop and discusses approaches to combating these threats, including using biological methods.
What pests affect pineapple?
Pineapples are affected by a variety of pests and diseases. These are typically small insects that feed directly on plant tissue, such as the mealybug and pineapple thrips. Damage normally appears as leaf discolouration, although specific pests produce distinct symptoms. Pest damage can result in significant losses of pineapple crops. In addition to direct feeding, pests can also transfer diseases, which can have a devastating effect on crop yield. For example, in Ghana, the pineapple mealybug virus can cause $248 (USD) of damage per hectare of growing area.
Pineapple mealybug (Dysmicoccus brevipes)
Mealybugs are tiny, oval-shaped insects that damage plants by sucking fluids, causing wilting and reddening of pineapple leaf tips. Eggs reach 0.4 mm in length, and mealybugs progress through three instar (development) stages, with most feeding occurring in the first. Their lifecycle spans up to three months. In addition to leaf wilting, signs of mealybug infestation appear as a white waxy layer on leaves. Mealybugs also secrete honeydew, in return, ants protect mealybugs from predators like ladybugs and parasitic wasps. Some ant species even carry mealybugs to new plants, helping them colonize new plants.
Mealybugs can also transmit the pineapple wilt virus, also known as pineapple mealybug wilt-associated virus, during feeding. Infected plants exhibit symptoms such as leaf wilting, discolouration, and become more easily pulled from the soil. Pineapples may also be susceptible to the Cucumber mosaic virus, making disease management an essential part of protecting pineapple crops.
Pineapple fruit fly (Melanoloma canopilosum)
Adult females are black and have a wingspan of about 1 cm. They lay their eggs inside the pineapple fruit, where the eggs grow to about 1.2 mm in size before hatching. The larvae are yellow-white, can grow up to 10 mm long, and primarily feed within the fruit, although they may also feed on dead plant tissue. Pupae (cocoons) are brown-red and reach up to 5 mm in length. Larval feeding damages the fruit, attracting bacteria and fungi that accelerate decay and rotting.
Pineapple red mites (Dolichotetranychus floridanus)
These tiny spider mites, also known as false pineapple mites, are bright red or orange and grow up to 0.4 mm long. Their eggs are also red, while the larvae are paler in colour. Female mites develop through two nymph stages before reaching adulthood, whereas males have only one nymphal stage. The nymphs are also red. Pineapple red mites feed on the leaves and fruit, causing dark lesions on plant tissue. If plants are attacked early in the season, their growth may be stunted.
Pineapple fruit borer (Strymon megarus)
This pest damages pineapple plants during its larval stage. Adult females lay eggs (white, about 0.8 mm in diameter) on the flowers. After hatching, the red larvae penetrate plant tissue and feed on the developing fruit for around two weeks. The pupal stage and the following adult moth stage each last about one week. Adult moths are grey with a wingspan of up to 35 mm. Larval feeding creates holes in the fruit and leads to uneven growth, as most attacks occur during fruit formation.
Pineapple scale insects (Diaspis bromeliae)
These insect pests vary in size, ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm in length. They produce a waxy coating, and adult males often develop wings, while adult females typically become immobile (do not move) once they attach to a plant. The nymphs, also known as crawlers, move across the plant to find a suitable location for feeding after hatching. Both nymphs and adults feed directly on the plant. Adults are capable of fully penetrating the outer layer of plant tissue. Feeding damage often appears as small, rust-coloured spots. In cases of severe infestation, plants can become completely covered by scale insects.
Root rot, pineapple (Phytophthora spp.)
This disease is caused by different species of fungi that can live in the soil and fallen plant debris. This disease produces several visible symptoms. Leaves may slowly turn yellow or wilt, then turn brown. In more severe cases, the leaves may turn red and die at the edges. Infected plants can also give off a bad smell and are easy to pull from the ground. Pineapple fruits may also change colour earlier than normal when affected by this disease.
Pineapple thrips (Holopothrips ananasi)
Pineapple thrips are small, slender insects that grow up to 1.5 mm long. Adults are yellow-brown and lay their white, 0.2 mm-long eggs inside the leaves and stems of plants. The eggs take up to 10 days to hatch. Pineapple thrips go through two larval stages before becoming adults. Both larvae and adults feed on plant sap. Their feeding causes silvery-white patches on leaves, which may turn brown in severe cases. Leaves can also develop small black spots, and thrip excrement may be visible. Thrips can also spread various plant diseases.
How do I manage pineapple pests?
There are several methods for managing pests that damage pineapple crops. A combination of approaches using integrated pest management practices often works well in many cases.
Monitoring
Watch carefully for the symptoms described above. Leaf discolouration is the most common sign associated with the pests we discussed. In some cases, pests may be visible directly on the fruit. A high number of adult pests in the growing area can also indicate an infestation. Additionally, an increased presence of ants may suggest a pineapple mealybug infestation.
Cultural control
Cultural control involves using specific farming or gardening practices to lower the risk of pest infestations. This method for crop management depends on correctly identifying the pest. For example, root rot, a disease that thrives in wet conditions, can be managed by planting on raised beds to improve drainage. Similarly, removing plant debris and keeping the growing area clean can help eliminate pests and diseases, as some pests may survive the winter in leftover debris post-harvest.
The EDIS IFAS UFL guide (accessed 2025) outlines best practices for land preparation and planting, as well as harvesting/post-harvest handling, to ensure successful pineapple production and lower the impact of pests.
Biological control
- Natural Substances: These are typically derived from plants and can be used in sprays to repel or kill pests. For example, neem oil and extracts can be effective in managing the pineapple fruit borer.
- Semiochemicals: These are messaging compounds that can be used to disrupt pest behaviour.
- Microbials: These are microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and viruses that harm pests but not crops. For example, Pseudomonas fluorescens is a species of bacteria that can help to combat the fungi that cause root rot.
- Macrobials: These are larger animals, like certain insects, that feed on or parasitise pests. For example, lady beetles are natural enemies of pineapple mealybugs and can be used to control their numbers.
Chemical Pesticides
Before considering the use of chemical control methods, such as pesticides, farmers should explore all available non-chemical control measures. These might include cultural practices like handpicking pests such as caterpillars, removing diseased plants, using resistant crop varieties, applying crop rotation and consulting the CABI BioProtection Portal for identifying and applying suitable biological control products (macrobials, natural substances and semiochemicals).
Summary
Pineapple crops face major threats from pests like mealybugs, fruit flies, mites, and scale insects, as well as diseases like root rot. These pests reduce yields and spread viruses. Farmers can control insect pests through monitoring, cultural practices, and biological controls, such as neem oil, beneficial bacteria, and predatory insects. A combination of approaches using integrated pest management offers an effective and environmentally friendly way to deal with many pests at once.
The CABI BioProtection Portal offers various pest management strategies and allows you to tailor searches based on a specific fruit, such as mango, or a pest, like the fruit fly.
We have also prepared extensive guides on dealing with pests of specific crops, including coffee.
