What's eating my baby's breath?

Baby's breath is susceptible to leafhoppers, which cause widespread stippling and can transmit aster yellows disease, and to aphids on stem tips. Slugs target young plants. Deer and rabbits occasionally browse it. In garden settings the plant is otherwise fairly pest-resistant and mainly suffers from fungal issues in humid conditions.

White or yellow stippling on leaves; plant may carry aster yellows phytoplasma causing distorted, yellowed growth. Remove and destroy any yellowed, distorted plants immediately (aster yellows is incurable); insecticidal soap or kaolin clay to deter adults; eliminate weeds as reservoirs.

Clusters on tender shoot tips; distorted growth, sticky honeydew, possible sooty mould. Knock off with water jet; insecticidal soap spray; parasitic wasp habitat (umbellifers nearby).

Seedlings and young stems eaten to stubs; irregular holes in basal foliage. Iron-phosphate pellets around young plants; hand-pick at night; avoid excessive mulch near crowns.