Pest identification
What's eating my medinilla?
Mealybugs
Signs: White fluffy wax deposits in stem crevices and leaf axils; plant weakens, leaves yellow, and honeydew promotes sooty mold.
Control: Remove with isopropyl alcohol on cotton swabs; drench with neem oil solution weekly until clear.
Spider mites
Signs: Fine yellow stippling on leaves; silk webbing on undersides; foliage bronzes and drops when infestation is severe.
Control: Boost humidity around the plant; spray foliage with water to knock mites off; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil every 5–7 days.
Scale insects
Signs: Hard or soft bumps on stems and leaf veins; sap extraction weakens growth; sticky honeydew residue visible.
Control: Swab with 70% isopropyl alcohol to kill scale; follow with weekly horticultural oil sprays for 4–5 applications.
Keep medinilla pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Medinilla pests — FAQ
What is eating my medinilla?
Medinilla scortechinii, a tropical houseplant, is most troubled by mealybugs, spider mites, and scale insects. Low indoor humidity strongly favours mite outbreaks. Inspect leaf undersides and stem joints regularly. Raise humidity to deter mites, remove mealybugs with alcohol swabs, and treat all pests with neem oil or horticultural oil spray.
How do I get rid of mealybugs on medinilla?
White fluffy wax deposits in stem crevices and leaf axils; plant weakens, leaves yellow, and honeydew promotes sooty mold. Remove with isopropyl alcohol on cotton swabs; drench with neem oil solution weekly until clear.
How do I get rid of spider mites on medinilla?
Fine yellow stippling on leaves; silk webbing on undersides; foliage bronzes and drops when infestation is severe. Boost humidity around the plant; spray foliage with water to knock mites off; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil every 5–7 days.
How do I get rid of scale insects on medinilla?
Hard or soft bumps on stems and leaf veins; sap extraction weakens growth; sticky honeydew residue visible. Swab with 70% isopropyl alcohol to kill scale; follow with weekly horticultural oil sprays for 4–5 applications.