Pest identification
What's eating my freesia?
Aphids
Signs: Dense colonies on new growth and flower stems; sticky honeydew, distorted shoots, and virus transmission risk.
Control: Knock off with a strong water spray; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil. Encourage ladybirds and lacewings as natural predators.
Thrips
Signs: Silver-streaked or flecked petals and leaves; tiny dark frass spots; flowers may fail to open properly.
Control: Remove and bin affected flowers; apply a spinosad-based spray or neem oil in the evening; use blue sticky traps to monitor.
Slugs and snails
Signs: Irregular holes chewed in young leaves and stems, mostly at night or after rain; silvery slime trails nearby.
Control: Apply iron phosphate pellets (safe for pets and wildlife) around corms at planting; use copper tape around containers; hand-pick at dusk.
Keep freesia pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Freesia pests — FAQ
What is eating my freesia?
Freesias grown outdoors face aphids on new shoots, thrips that scar petals, and slugs targeting young foliage at soil level. Bulbs in storage or ground are occasionally eaten by rodents or cutworm larvae. Aphids are the most frequent problem, spreading quickly across a planting and distorting the flower stems if unchecked.
How do I get rid of aphids on freesia?
Dense colonies on new growth and flower stems; sticky honeydew, distorted shoots, and virus transmission risk. Knock off with a strong water spray; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil. Encourage ladybirds and lacewings as natural predators.
How do I get rid of thrips on freesia?
Silver-streaked or flecked petals and leaves; tiny dark frass spots; flowers may fail to open properly. Remove and bin affected flowers; apply a spinosad-based spray or neem oil in the evening; use blue sticky traps to monitor.
How do I get rid of slugs and snails on freesia?
Irregular holes chewed in young leaves and stems, mostly at night or after rain; silvery slime trails nearby. Apply iron phosphate pellets (safe for pets and wildlife) around corms at planting; use copper tape around containers; hand-pick at dusk.