Catching a pest early turns a crisis into a nuisance. The trick is looking — under the leaves, at the stems, once a week. Here are the three you'll meet most.
Spider mites
Tiny, barely visible; leave fine webbing under leaves and a stippled, faded look. Love dry, hot air. Fix: spray with water to knock them off, then a neem oil or insecticidal soap spray every few days for two weeks. Raise humidity.
Mealybugs
White, cottony clumps in leaf axils and stem joints. Fix: dab with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, then treat the whole plant with insecticidal soap. They hide, so repeat.
Scale
Brown, bumpy shells stuck to stems; leaves get sticky (honeydew) and may grow sooty mould. Fix: scrape off, alcohol swab, then systemic or soap treatment.
Start without chemicals
Isolate the plant first so pests don't spread. Soap and water solve most outbreaks if you're consistent for two weeks.Should I throw the plant out?
Almost never. Isolate, treat, and repeat. Only discard if it's small, cheap and overrun.
How do I stop them coming back?
Quarantine new plants for two weeks, and inspect under leaves weekly. Most infestations start on a new arrival.
A weekly 60-second check
Most infestations start on a new arrival and spread. Quarantine any new plant for two weeks, and once a week flip a few leaves and look at the stems. Catching spider mites or mealybugs early turns a crisis into a nuisance. A magnifying glass helps; webbing and cottony clumps are obvious once you know to look.
Treatment order (start gentle)
Isolate
Move the plant away from others so pests don't walk across.
Physically remove
Spray with water, dab mealybugs with alcohol on a swab, scrape scale.
Soap or oil
Insecticidal soap or neem oil every few days for two weeks.
Systemic, last
If it persists, a soil systemic for severe scale — but food plants and pets limit this.
Consistency beats strength. A weak spray every three days for two weeks clears most outbreaks; one heavy blast does not.