Pest identification
What's eating my moses in the cradle?
Spider mites
Signs: Fine silvery stippling or bronzing on leaf surfaces; fine webbing visible on undersides and between leaves in heavy infestations.
Control: Raise humidity, wash foliage with a strong water spray, then treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil spray; repeat every 5–7 days for 3 weeks.
Mealybugs
Signs: White cottony clusters in leaf axils, along stems, and inside the boat-shaped bracts; sticky honeydew and sooty mold may follow.
Control: Dab individual colonies with a cotton swab dipped in 70% isopropyl alcohol; follow up with weekly neem oil or insecticidal soap sprays.
Aphids
Signs: Soft-bodied insects clustered on new growth and stem tips, causing curled or distorted leaves and sticky residue.
Control: Knock off with a water spray; apply insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil and repeat weekly until the infestation clears.
Scale insects
Signs: Brown, limpet-like bumps on stems and leaf midribs; plant yellows and weakens as scales feed on sap.
Control: Scrape off with a soft toothbrush, treat with horticultural oil or rubbing-alcohol wipes, and follow up with systemic neem oil sprays.
Keep moses in the cradle pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Moses in the Cradle pests — FAQ
What is eating my moses in the cradle?
Moses in the Cradle (Tradescantia spathacea) is most threatened by spider mites, which thrive in warm, dry indoor air and cause stippled, silvery foliage. Mealybugs, scale, and aphids also attack, clustering in leaf axils and on new growth. Inspect leaf undersides and the boat-shaped bracts regularly.
How do I get rid of spider mites on moses in the cradle?
Fine silvery stippling or bronzing on leaf surfaces; fine webbing visible on undersides and between leaves in heavy infestations. Raise humidity, wash foliage with a strong water spray, then treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil spray; repeat every 5–7 days for 3 weeks.
How do I get rid of mealybugs on moses in the cradle?
White cottony clusters in leaf axils, along stems, and inside the boat-shaped bracts; sticky honeydew and sooty mold may follow. Dab individual colonies with a cotton swab dipped in 70% isopropyl alcohol; follow up with weekly neem oil or insecticidal soap sprays.
How do I get rid of aphids on moses in the cradle?
Soft-bodied insects clustered on new growth and stem tips, causing curled or distorted leaves and sticky residue. Knock off with a water spray; apply insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil and repeat weekly until the infestation clears.
How do I get rid of scale insects on moses in the cradle?
Brown, limpet-like bumps on stems and leaf midribs; plant yellows and weakens as scales feed on sap. Scrape off with a soft toothbrush, treat with horticultural oil or rubbing-alcohol wipes, and follow up with systemic neem oil sprays.