Pest identification
What's eating my china pink?
Aphids (various species)
Signs: Clusters on tender shoot tips and flower stalks; sticky honeydew, sooty mould, and stunted flower buds
Control: Blast off with water; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil; remove heavily colonised tips; encourage beneficial insects
Carnation tortrix moth (Cacoecimorpha pronubana)
Signs: Leaves rolled or webbed together; brown feeding damage inside; buds may fail to open
Control: Hand-remove webbed caterpillars; apply Bt spray (Bacillus thuringiensis) targeting young caterpillars; pheromone traps for monitoring
Slugs and snails
Signs: Holes in young leaves and stems; seedlings cut off at the base; slime trails left behind
Control: Use iron phosphate pellets; place sharp grit or crushed eggshell around plants; hand-pick after dark; beer traps nearby
Two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae)
Signs: Fine pale stippling on leaves; yellow bronzing; fine webbing under leaves in hot, dry spells
Control: Mist foliage to raise humidity; apply miticide or neem oil; introduce predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis) in greenhouses
Keep china pink pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
China pink pests — FAQ
What is eating my china pink?
China pink (annual Dianthus) is most troubled by aphids on buds and shoot tips and by caterpillars including tortrix and carnation tortrix. Slugs and snails damage seedlings. In warmer US regions, spider mites can scorch foliage in hot dry summers. Aphids are the most frequent problem.
How do I get rid of aphids (various species) on china pink?
Clusters on tender shoot tips and flower stalks; sticky honeydew, sooty mould, and stunted flower buds Blast off with water; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil; remove heavily colonised tips; encourage beneficial insects
How do I get rid of carnation tortrix moth (cacoecimorpha pronubana) on china pink?
Leaves rolled or webbed together; brown feeding damage inside; buds may fail to open Hand-remove webbed caterpillars; apply Bt spray (Bacillus thuringiensis) targeting young caterpillars; pheromone traps for monitoring
How do I get rid of slugs and snails on china pink?
Holes in young leaves and stems; seedlings cut off at the base; slime trails left behind Use iron phosphate pellets; place sharp grit or crushed eggshell around plants; hand-pick after dark; beer traps nearby
How do I get rid of two-spotted spider mite (tetranychus urticae) on china pink?
Fine pale stippling on leaves; yellow bronzing; fine webbing under leaves in hot, dry spells Mist foliage to raise humidity; apply miticide or neem oil; introduce predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis) in greenhouses