Pest identification
What's eating my oliver's impatiens?
Spider mites
Signs: Fine webbing on undersides of leaves; stippled, bronzed foliage that yellows and drops.
Control: Mist foliage to raise humidity; spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil, repeating weekly until clear.
Aphids
Signs: Clusters of small insects on soft shoot tips; sticky honeydew and distorted new growth.
Control: Blast off with a strong jet of water; apply insecticidal soap or introduce ladybugs as biological control.
Slugs and snails
Signs: Ragged holes in leaves and flowers, slime trails on stems and soil.
Control: Remove by hand at night; use iron phosphate slug pellets around the base of plants.
Vine weevil
Signs: Notched leaf margins from adult beetles; wilting and plant collapse from grubs eating roots in containers.
Control: Apply pathogenic nematodes (Steinernema kraussei) to moist compost in late summer or early autumn.
Keep oliver's impatiens pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Oliver's impatiens pests — FAQ
What is eating my oliver's impatiens?
Oliver's impatiens (Impatiens sodenii) is most threatened by spider mites and aphids outdoors, plus vine weevil in containers. Slugs and snails target soft stems and flowers at ground level. Inspect regularly and remove pests by hand or with insecticidal soap; protect containers from vine weevil with nematode drench.
How do I get rid of spider mites on oliver's impatiens?
Fine webbing on undersides of leaves; stippled, bronzed foliage that yellows and drops. Mist foliage to raise humidity; spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil, repeating weekly until clear.
How do I get rid of aphids on oliver's impatiens?
Clusters of small insects on soft shoot tips; sticky honeydew and distorted new growth. Blast off with a strong jet of water; apply insecticidal soap or introduce ladybugs as biological control.
How do I get rid of slugs and snails on oliver's impatiens?
Ragged holes in leaves and flowers, slime trails on stems and soil. Remove by hand at night; use iron phosphate slug pellets around the base of plants.
How do I get rid of vine weevil on oliver's impatiens?
Notched leaf margins from adult beetles; wilting and plant collapse from grubs eating roots in containers. Apply pathogenic nematodes (Steinernema kraussei) to moist compost in late summer or early autumn.