Pest identification
What's eating my cape jewels?
Aphids (various species)
Signs: Dense colonies on shoot tips and buds; curled and distorted leaves; sticky honeydew and sooty mould
Control: Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; remove heavily infested growing tips; use yellow sticky traps for monitoring
Whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum and Bemisia tabaci)
Signs: White insects rise in clouds when plant is disturbed; yellowing leaves; honeydew and sooty mould on foliage
Control: Yellow sticky traps; spray with insecticidal soap or pyrethrin; introduce Encarsia formosa in greenhouse situations
Two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae)
Signs: Bronze or yellow speckled leaves; fine webbing on undersides; plants weaken in hot, dry summer conditions
Control: Mist foliage; apply miticide or neem oil; avoid prolonged drought stress; introduce predatory mites in protected environments
Slugs and snails
Signs: Holes in young leaves and severed seedlings at soil level; worse in wet conditions
Control: Iron phosphate pellets; grit around pot rims; hand-pick at night; copper tape on containers
Keep cape jewels pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Cape jewels pests — FAQ
What is eating my cape jewels?
Nemesia strumosa is susceptible to aphids on soft growing tips, whitefly (especially in greenhouse or container cultivation), and spider mites in hot dry spells. Slugs and snails attack young plants. In UK gardens, aphids and whitefly are the most commonly reported problems, particularly on container-grown plants.
How do I get rid of aphids (various species) on cape jewels?
Dense colonies on shoot tips and buds; curled and distorted leaves; sticky honeydew and sooty mould Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; remove heavily infested growing tips; use yellow sticky traps for monitoring
How do I get rid of whitefly (trialeurodes vaporariorum and bemisia tabaci) on cape jewels?
White insects rise in clouds when plant is disturbed; yellowing leaves; honeydew and sooty mould on foliage Yellow sticky traps; spray with insecticidal soap or pyrethrin; introduce Encarsia formosa in greenhouse situations
How do I get rid of two-spotted spider mite (tetranychus urticae) on cape jewels?
Bronze or yellow speckled leaves; fine webbing on undersides; plants weaken in hot, dry summer conditions Mist foliage; apply miticide or neem oil; avoid prolonged drought stress; introduce predatory mites in protected environments
How do I get rid of slugs and snails on cape jewels?
Holes in young leaves and severed seedlings at soil level; worse in wet conditions Iron phosphate pellets; grit around pot rims; hand-pick at night; copper tape on containers