What's eating my aloe dorotheae?

Aloe dorotheae (Sunset Aloe) is prized for its vivid red-orange colour in strong light. Mealybugs are the most common indoor pest, clustered in the leaf axils. Spider mites may appear in dry, warm rooms. Scale insects can settle on stems. The colourful leaves make early damage detection harder — inspect under leaves regularly.

White cottony patches between leaves and at the rosette base; reduced colour intensity and slow growth. Dab each colony with alcohol on a cotton swab; spray with diluted neem oil weekly for four to six weeks.

Dusty stippling or pale flecking on leaf surfaces; fine webbing may be visible in severe infestations. Increase humidity slightly, clean leaves with a damp cloth, and apply insecticidal soap or neem oil.

Hard waxy bumps on stems; affected plant sections may look bleached or weak. Remove physically with a soft toothbrush then apply neem oil or insecticidal soap every 10 days.