Pest identification
What's eating my mousetail arum?
Slugs & snails
Signs: Holes and ragged tears across thick leaf blades; spathe base chewed at soil level; slime trails left behind.
Control: Apply iron-phosphate pellets around each corm; use fine grit or crushed shells as a barrier mulch.
Aphids
Signs: Dense sticky colonies on the flower peduncle; puckered or distorted new leaf growth; honeydew accumulation.
Control: Remove with a strong water jet or insecticidal soap spray; repeat weekly until the infestation clears.
Vine weevil
Signs: Creamy white grubs consume corm flesh underground, causing wilting and sudden plant collapse.
Control: Apply Steinernema kraussei nematode drench in late summer; check and clean corms when lifting for winter storage.
Keep mousetail arum pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Mousetail Arum pests — FAQ
What is eating my mousetail arum?
Mousetail arum (Helicodiceros muscivorus) is a carrion-scented Mediterranean aroid grown outdoors. Slugs and snails are the main pest, targeting succulent leaves. Aphids can attack the peduncle. Its strong smell attracts blowflies as pollinators, not pests. Vine weevil grubs occasionally damage the large corm in heavy soils.
How do I get rid of slugs & snails on mousetail arum?
Holes and ragged tears across thick leaf blades; spathe base chewed at soil level; slime trails left behind. Apply iron-phosphate pellets around each corm; use fine grit or crushed shells as a barrier mulch.
How do I get rid of aphids on mousetail arum?
Dense sticky colonies on the flower peduncle; puckered or distorted new leaf growth; honeydew accumulation. Remove with a strong water jet or insecticidal soap spray; repeat weekly until the infestation clears.
How do I get rid of vine weevil on mousetail arum?
Creamy white grubs consume corm flesh underground, causing wilting and sudden plant collapse. Apply Steinernema kraussei nematode drench in late summer; check and clean corms when lifting for winter storage.