aphids on Bromeliad
Quick answer
If your Bromeliad has aphids, the most likely cause is: Aphids (plant lice) are small, pear-shaped, soft-bodied insects with beaks and four needlelike stylets that pierce bromeliad leaf tissue and feed on plant sap, weakening the plant so it loses vigor, becomes stunted, and shows leaves that curl or pucker as repeated feeding drains the foliage of turgor.
Start here:
- 1. Inspect bromeliad leaf axils and the undersides of leaves with a magnifying glass because most insects lurk in those locations, and catch aphids early before populations build.
- 2. Put alcohol on a cotton swab and dab directly on aphids to kill them on contact, then repeat applications as necessary because they can multiply rapidly.
Why Bromeliad gets aphids
Bromeliaceae (family)
Aphids (plant lice) are small, pear-shaped, soft-bodied insects with beaks and four needlelike stylets that pierce bromeliad leaf tissue and feed on plant sap, weakening the plant so it loses vigor, becomes stunted, and shows leaves that curl or pucker as repeated feeding drains the foliage of turgor.
How to reverse aphids on Bromeliad
- 1
Inspect bromeliad leaf axils and the undersides of leaves with a magnifying glass because most insects lurk in those locations, and catch aphids early before populations build.
- 2
Put alcohol on a cotton swab and dab directly on aphids to kill them on contact, then repeat applications as necessary because they can multiply rapidly.
- 3
Spray the plant with a strong jet of water at the sink, gently massaging the leaf axils and wiping the leaves so they are shiny and free of any pests that might harbor enemies.
Keep aphids off this Bromeliad
Wash bromeliads at the sink with a strong spray of water before hot summer weather sets in to dislodge any insects, and soak pots in the sink up to their rims so any insects lingering in the soil come to the surface.