mealybugs on Ctenanthe
Quick answer
If your Ctenanthe has mealybugs, the most likely cause is: Mealybugs are listed among the named pest problems for the Maranta, Ctenanthe, and Calathea group of tropical houseplants, and they are particularly drawn to marantas with a vehemence comparable to bougainvilleas, slowly undermining the host by feeding along stems and the undersides of the spear-shaped Ctenanthe oppenheimiana foliage over time.
Start here:
- 1. Keep a vigilant eye out for mealybug colonies on the ctenanthe's foliage and stems so they are caught before they have time to undermine the plant, and immediately segregate any infested specimen away from neighbouring tropical houseplants.
- 2. Treat an active infestation by dabbing the bugs off with a cotton swab dipped in 70 percent isopropyl alcohol, or rinse the spear-shaped leaves and stems with a gentle stream of water before following up with an organic insecticidal soap or neem oil spray applied to the leaf undersides.
Why Ctenanthe gets mealybugs
Ctenanthe oppenheimiana
Mealybugs are listed among the named pest problems for the Maranta, Ctenanthe, and Calathea group of tropical houseplants, and they are particularly drawn to marantas with a vehemence comparable to bougainvilleas, slowly undermining the host by feeding along stems and the undersides of the spear-shaped Ctenanthe oppenheimiana foliage over time.
How to reverse mealybugs on Ctenanthe
- 1
Keep a vigilant eye out for mealybug colonies on the ctenanthe's foliage and stems so they are caught before they have time to undermine the plant, and immediately segregate any infested specimen away from neighbouring tropical houseplants.
- 2
Treat an active infestation by dabbing the bugs off with a cotton swab dipped in 70 percent isopropyl alcohol, or rinse the spear-shaped leaves and stems with a gentle stream of water before following up with an organic insecticidal soap or neem oil spray applied to the leaf undersides.
Keep mealybugs off this Ctenanthe
Maintain the warm, humid, bright-filtered-light environment that the never-never plant prefers, inspect new plants in quarantine for several weeks before placing them near the ctenanthe, and routinely check the leaf axils and undersides where mealybugs tend to settle first.