It is not for nothing that the elephant foot is considered easy-care and robust. Pests are mainly found on this plant when it is not feeling well and diseases only rarely occur. This makes the elephant foot attractive for beginners.
Mealybugs also like to nibble on elephant feet
What pests can I find on the elephant's foot?
As long as your elephant's foot is well cared for in a suitable location, you don't need to worry about any pests. Spider mites or scale insects appear from time to time, and thrips or mealybugs can also occur occasionally. Pay particular attention to possible pests when buying, because you don't know how the elephant's foot was cared for and whether the location was optimal.
You can recognize an infestation with mealybugs quite reliably by the web, which is reminiscent of small cotton balls. Spider mites give themselves away by their fine webbing on the edge of the leaf or in the leaf axils. Thrips can be seen as small dark dots.
Possible pests in the elephant foot:
- spider mites
- scale insects
- Mealybugs or Mealybugs
- thrips
What can I do against pests?
If your elephant's foot has little pest infestation, try rinsing it off. A relatively powerful jet of water drives away the unwelcome animals. So that the soil including the roots does not get too wet, pack the pot in a plastic bag before you spray the elephant's foot with room-warm water.
If the infestation is severe, pure water may no longer be sufficient. Here you can put a little dish soap or soap in the water. In addition, the trade offers some chemical agents against pests, such as special ornamental plant spray or combined fertilizer sticks, (4.48 €) which also contain a remedy against pests.
To ensure that no more pests appear in the future, the infestation should first be effectively combated. You can isolate individual infested plants so that neighboring plants cannot be infected. After successful control, keep the humidity so high that the various pests no longer feel at home there. Namely, some of them prefer dry air.
tips
Some pests such as spider mites or scale insects appear primarily in dry (heating) air. An increase in humidity drives away the pests and protects against re-infestation.