What's eating my aglaonema (chinese evergreen)?

Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen) is most commonly troubled by mealybugs, which hide in leaf axils and along stems. Spider mites cause stippled, dull leaves in dry indoor air. Scale insects appear as brown bumps on stems. Fungus gnats breed in overwatered compost. Check the undersides of those large decorative leaves regularly.

White cottony wax masses in leaf axils and along stems; leaves become sticky with honeydew and may blacken with sooty mold Dab individual colonies with a cotton bud dipped in 70% isopropyl alcohol; spray with neem oil or insecticidal soap; repeat weekly for a month

Fine pale stippling across leaves; fine webbing on undersides; worst in warm, low-humidity conditions Raise humidity; mist foliage and wipe leaves with a damp cloth; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil; repeat every 5–7 days

Brown or tan oval bumps fixed on stems and leaf midribs; yellowing leaves; sticky honeydew drips Scrape off with a soft toothbrush dipped in soapy water; treat with neem oil or systemic houseplant insecticide

Adults are a nuisance; larvae in compost chew fine roots, stunting plants; associated with consistently wet potting mix Allow the top 2–3 cm of compost to dry between waterings; use yellow sticky traps; apply Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) drench