Pest identification
What's eating my milky bellflower?
Slugs and snails
Signs: Ragged holes in new leaves and complete destruction of soft emerging crowns; damage worst in spring and after wet weather.
Control: Protect crowns with ferric phosphate pellets from early spring; use beer traps; handpick at dusk; avoid heavy mulch near crowns.
Aphids
Signs: Clusters of soft insects on tall flower stems and shoot tips; distorted growth and honeydew deposits that attract ants.
Control: Knock off with a water jet; use insecticidal soap spray; introduce or encourage natural predators such as ladybirds and lacewings.
Spider mites
Signs: Fine stippling and pale mottling on leaves with faint webbing underneath; most common during hot, dry summer periods.
Control: Increase irrigation to reduce plant stress; remove badly affected leaves; spray with neem oil or insecticidal soap.
Keep milky bellflower pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Milky bellflower pests — FAQ
What is eating my milky bellflower?
Milky bellflower's lush, soft foliage makes it a magnet for slugs and snails, which can strip emerging crowns completely in wet springs. Aphids may cluster on the tall flower stems, and slugs are particularly damaging to young divided plants. Established clumps tolerate most pest pressure once the season's new growth hardens slightly.
How do I get rid of slugs and snails on milky bellflower?
Ragged holes in new leaves and complete destruction of soft emerging crowns; damage worst in spring and after wet weather. Protect crowns with ferric phosphate pellets from early spring; use beer traps; handpick at dusk; avoid heavy mulch near crowns.
How do I get rid of aphids on milky bellflower?
Clusters of soft insects on tall flower stems and shoot tips; distorted growth and honeydew deposits that attract ants. Knock off with a water jet; use insecticidal soap spray; introduce or encourage natural predators such as ladybirds and lacewings.
How do I get rid of spider mites on milky bellflower?
Fine stippling and pale mottling on leaves with faint webbing underneath; most common during hot, dry summer periods. Increase irrigation to reduce plant stress; remove badly affected leaves; spray with neem oil or insecticidal soap.