From our perspective, aphids are a persistent nuisance. These tiny, soft-bodied insects congregate on our succulent new growth, tender stems, and the undersides of our young leaves. They pierce our tissues with their needle-like mouthparts to suck out our vital sap, which is our lifeblood. This feeding weakens us, causing our magnificent, banana-like leaves to curl, yellow, and become stunted. Furthermore, they excrete a sticky, sugary substance called honeydew, which attracts sooty mold. This black fungus coats our leaves, blocking the precious sunlight we need for photosynthesis. To treat them, we appreciate a strong spray of water to dislodge them, applications of insecticidal soap that breaks down their outer shell, or the introduction of natural predators like ladybugs into our environment.
Mealybugs are particularly distressing. They appear as small, white, cottony masses nestled in the tight spaces where our leaf stalks meet the main stem, and at the base of our flowers. Like aphids, they are sap-suckers, draining our energy and causing leaf yellowing and wilting. Their hiding spots make them difficult to reach. For a light infestation, we find great relief when our caretaker dabs them directly with a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol, which dissolves their protective waxy coating. For more widespread issues, a thorough spraying with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap suffocates them effectively. Consistency is key, as their life cycle requires repeated treatments.
Scale insects are deceptive foes. In their immature "crawler" stage, they move about, but soon they attach themselves to our stems and the undersides of our leaves, forming a hard, protective brown or tan shell. They remain stationary, feeding on our sap and slowly weakening us. This leads to yellow spotting on leaves, a general decline in our vigor, and, like aphids, the production of honeydew. Their armor makes them resistant to many sprays. The most effective treatment we respond to is the physical scraping of these scales from our surfaces, followed by an application of horticultural oil. The oil works by coating and smothering the insect beneath its shell.
Spider mites are nearly invisible but their damage is not. These minuscule arachnids thrive in hot, dry conditions, which is stressful for us on its own. They infest the undersides of our leaves, piercing individual cells and sucking out their contents. This creates a characteristic stippling pattern of tiny yellow dots across our foliage. As the infestation grows, fine, silken webbing becomes visible, and our leaves may turn entirely yellow, bronze, and drop prematurely. We desperately need higher humidity; regularly misting our leaves or placing a humidifier nearby helps deter them. A forceful spray of water can knock them off, and miticides or insecticidal soaps are necessary to control larger populations.
