Greetings, human caretaker. It is I, your spider plant, speaking to you from my sun-drenched perch. While I am generally a resilient and cheerful companion, sometimes uninvited guests decide to make a meal of my lovely, arching leaves. I can’t swat them away myself, so I need your keen eyes and gentle hands to help. Here is a detailed guide, from my perspective, on who these pests are and how you can send them packing.
These tiny, pear-shaped bugs love to cluster on my new, tender growth. They are usually green or black, and they pierce my leaves to suck out the sweet sap. To me, it feels like a thousand tiny pins constantly pricking me. You might notice my new leaves looking curled, stunted, or sticky. This sticky residue, called honeydew, can attract ants or lead to a black, sooty mold growing on my leaves, which blocks my sunlight. A strong spray of lukewarm water from the sink or shower can dislodge them. For stubborn infestations, you can mix a little insecticidal soap or neem oil with water and spray me down, making sure to cover the undersides of my leaves.
Ironically, my namesake pest is one of my worst enemies. Spider mites are not insects but tiny arachnids, nearly impossible to see without a magnifying glass. They live on the undersides of my leaves and spin fine, delicate webs. Their feeding leaves behind a tell-tale stippling of tiny yellow or white dots on my foliage. If left unchecked, my leaves can turn entirely yellow, dry up, and I can become severely weakened. They thrive in hot, dry conditions. Increasing humidity around me by misting my leaves regularly is a great deterrent. Wiping my leaves with a damp cloth can remove many of them. For a significant problem, insecticidal soap or horticultural oil sprays are very effective.
These pests look like tiny tufts of white cotton or fluff hiding in the crevices where my leaves meet the stem, or even on the roots. They also suck my sap, causing my leaves to yellow and wilt. They are particularly sneaky. If you see these white masses, you can dab them directly with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. This dissolves their waxy coating and kills them on contact. For larger infestations, a thorough spray with a neem oil solution is your best bet. Please be persistent; these bugs can hide very well.
Scale insects are masters of disguise. They attach themselves to my leaves and stems, forming hard or soft, brown, bump-like shells under which they live and feed. Like the others, they are sap-suckers. You might notice a general decline in my health, yellowing leaves, and that sticky honeydew. Because of their protective shell, they can be tough to eliminate. You can try to scrape them off gently with your fingernail or a soft brush. Horticultural oil works well because it can suffocate the insects beneath their scales.
These are more of a nuisance to you than a direct threat to me, but their larvae can nibble on my roots if their population explodes. The adults are tiny, dark, mosquito-like flies that buzz around the surface of my soil. They are attracted to consistently wet soil. The best way to control them is to let the top layer of my soil dry out completely between waterings. This kills the larvae. You can also use yellow sticky traps to catch the adult flies.
