What's eating my agave striata?

Agave striata, the narrow-leaf agave, forms a dense, grassy rosette of stiff, thin leaves that can trap debris and shelter spider mites and mealybugs between the closely packed foliage. Agave snout weevil is the most destructive threat. Its fine, crowded leaves require careful inspection — use a magnifying glass to check for spider mite webbing.

Crown collapse caused by burrowing larvae; the base of the rosette rots and smells fetid Destroy infested plants; apply preventive systemic insecticide soil drench in spring; do not wound leaves unnecessarily.

White cottony deposits hidden deep within the dense cluster of narrow leaves Drench the leaf mass with diluted neem oil; use alcohol on a thin brush to reach interior colonies; repeat weekly.

Fine webbing threaded between the narrow leaves; stippling and silvering of leaf surfaces in dry conditions Increase local humidity; spray thoroughly with neem oil or insecticidal soap, working between all the leaves; repeat every 5 days.