Pest identification
What's eating my million bells?
Aphids
Signs: Dense colonies on new growth and flower stalks; yellowing, curling foliage; sticky honeydew attracts sooty mold; cast skins accumulate in baskets.
Control: Sticky yellow monitoring cards; strong water spray; insecticidal soap or neem oil; flonicamid (Beleaf) for heavy infestations.
Spider mites
Signs: Pale stippling or bronzing of leaves; fine webbing on undersides; leaves drop in severe cases.
Control: Water spray to raise humidity; miticide or neem oil; introduce predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis).
Thrips
Signs: Silvery streaking on petals; buds distorted or fail to open; adults and nymphs hide inside flower tubes.
Control: Remove infested blooms; spinosad or neem oil spray; predatory mites Amblyseius cucumeris.
Whitefly
Signs: Yellowing leaves; honeydew and sooty mold on foliage; white insects scatter when plant is disturbed.
Control: Yellow sticky traps; insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on leaf undersides.
Keep million bells pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Million bells pests — FAQ
What is eating my million bells?
Million bells (Calibrachoa) is highly susceptible to aphids, which are its single biggest insect pest in both garden and container settings. Spider mites cause serious damage in hot, dry weather. Thrips distort buds and flowers. Regular scouting with sticky traps, insecticidal soap, and neem oil are the go-to controls.
How do I get rid of aphids on million bells?
Dense colonies on new growth and flower stalks; yellowing, curling foliage; sticky honeydew attracts sooty mold; cast skins accumulate in baskets. Sticky yellow monitoring cards; strong water spray; insecticidal soap or neem oil; flonicamid (Beleaf) for heavy infestations.
How do I get rid of spider mites on million bells?
Pale stippling or bronzing of leaves; fine webbing on undersides; leaves drop in severe cases. Water spray to raise humidity; miticide or neem oil; introduce predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis).
How do I get rid of thrips on million bells?
Silvery streaking on petals; buds distorted or fail to open; adults and nymphs hide inside flower tubes. Remove infested blooms; spinosad or neem oil spray; predatory mites Amblyseius cucumeris.
How do I get rid of whitefly on million bells?
Yellowing leaves; honeydew and sooty mold on foliage; white insects scatter when plant is disturbed. Yellow sticky traps; insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on leaf undersides.