What's eating my caladium freida hemple?

Caladium Freida Hemple's bold red leaves attract spider mites and mealybugs indoors, while caterpillars and grasshoppers can skeletonize or punch holes through leaves when planted outdoors. Aphids occasionally colonize fresh growth. Early intervention is key — the large, thin leaves show damage dramatically and can be lost entirely before the season ends.

Stippling and pale speckling across the red leaf surface; fine silk webbing visible under magnification. Increase humidity to 60%+, spray neem oil or insecticidal soap weekly, and isolate affected plants from others.

White waxy masses at stem junctions and leaf axils; honeydew deposits foster sooty mold growth. Apply isopropyl alcohol with a cotton swab directly to colonies; follow with neem oil spray and weekly monitoring.

Ragged holes or skeletonized areas in leaf blades when grown outdoors in summer beds. Hand-pick caterpillars at dusk; apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray for larger infestations in garden settings.