Pest identification
What's eating my pelargonium capitatum?
Aphids
Signs: Soft-bodied insects massed on shoot tips; sticky honeydew, distorted leaves, and sooty mould.
Control: Knock off with a strong water spray; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil; introduce ladybirds and lacewings outdoors.
Whitefly
Signs: White flies disturbed from foliage; yellowing, honeydew-covered leaves with black sooty mould.
Control: Yellow sticky traps; weekly insecticidal soap or pyrethrin spray; improve ventilation around plants.
Spider mites
Signs: Pale stippling and webbing on leaf undersides; plants look bleached or dusty in dry indoor conditions.
Control: Mist foliage, raise humidity; apply neem oil or release Phytoseiulus persimilis predatory mites.
Caterpillars
Signs: Ragged holes in leaves and stripped leaf edges from caterpillars feeding on outdoor plants at night.
Control: Pick caterpillars off by hand in the evening; apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray for heavy infestations.
Keep pelargonium capitatum pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Pelargonium capitatum pests — FAQ
What is eating my pelargonium capitatum?
Pelargonium capitatum (rose-scented geranium) is commonly attacked by aphids and whitefly on its soft foliage, and by spider mites in warm, dry indoor conditions. Outdoors, caterpillars occasionally graze leaves. Aphids are the most frequent and damaging pest, especially on new shoots in spring.
How do I get rid of aphids on pelargonium capitatum?
Soft-bodied insects massed on shoot tips; sticky honeydew, distorted leaves, and sooty mould. Knock off with a strong water spray; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil; introduce ladybirds and lacewings outdoors.
How do I get rid of whitefly on pelargonium capitatum?
White flies disturbed from foliage; yellowing, honeydew-covered leaves with black sooty mould. Yellow sticky traps; weekly insecticidal soap or pyrethrin spray; improve ventilation around plants.
How do I get rid of spider mites on pelargonium capitatum?
Pale stippling and webbing on leaf undersides; plants look bleached or dusty in dry indoor conditions. Mist foliage, raise humidity; apply neem oil or release Phytoseiulus persimilis predatory mites.
How do I get rid of caterpillars on pelargonium capitatum?
Ragged holes in leaves and stripped leaf edges from caterpillars feeding on outdoor plants at night. Pick caterpillars off by hand in the evening; apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray for heavy infestations.