Pest identification
What's eating my pelargonium 'copthorne'?
Aphids
Signs: Dense colonies on shoot tips; honeydew, sticky foliage, distorted growth, and possible sooty mould.
Control: Blast with water; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil spray; encourage natural predators such as ladybirds.
Whitefly
Signs: Tiny white flies disturbed from leaves; leaf yellowing and honeydew-coated foliage.
Control: Yellow sticky traps; weekly sprays of insecticidal soap or pyrethrin until infestation clears.
Spider mites
Signs: Pale leaf stippling and webbing on undersides; worst indoors in warm, dry conditions.
Control: Raise humidity; apply neem oil or introduce predatory mites; mist undersides of leaves regularly.
Vine weevil
Signs: Notched leaf margins from adult beetles; sudden plant collapse in pots from root-feeding larvae.
Control: Apply nematode drench (Steinernema kraussei) in late summer; hand-pick grubs when repotting.
Keep pelargonium 'copthorne' pest-free
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Pelargonium 'Copthorne' pests — FAQ
What is eating my pelargonium 'copthorne'?
Pelargonium 'Copthorne', a cedar-scented hybrid, suffers from aphids, whitefly, and spider mites, like other scented-leaved pelargoniums. Caterpillars may occasionally graze foliage when grown outdoors. Vine weevil is a risk in pots. Aphids on new growth are the most regularly reported pest.
How do I get rid of aphids on pelargonium 'copthorne'?
Dense colonies on shoot tips; honeydew, sticky foliage, distorted growth, and possible sooty mould. Blast with water; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil spray; encourage natural predators such as ladybirds.
How do I get rid of whitefly on pelargonium 'copthorne'?
Tiny white flies disturbed from leaves; leaf yellowing and honeydew-coated foliage. Yellow sticky traps; weekly sprays of insecticidal soap or pyrethrin until infestation clears.
How do I get rid of spider mites on pelargonium 'copthorne'?
Pale leaf stippling and webbing on undersides; worst indoors in warm, dry conditions. Raise humidity; apply neem oil or introduce predatory mites; mist undersides of leaves regularly.
How do I get rid of vine weevil on pelargonium 'copthorne'?
Notched leaf margins from adult beetles; sudden plant collapse in pots from root-feeding larvae. Apply nematode drench (Steinernema kraussei) in late summer; hand-pick grubs when repotting.