Pest identification
What's eating my pelargonium x domesticum 'hazel carey'?
Aphids
Signs: Dense colonies on new shoots and buds; sticky honeydew, sooty mold, and distorted leaf and flower growth
Control: Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil spray; remove infested shoot tips; use yellow sticky traps as an early warning tool
Vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus)
Signs: Adult feeding creates notched leaf margins; grubs destroy the root system, causing rapid wilting and plant death
Control: Drench container compost with Steinernema kraussei nematodes in late summer; repot annually, removing and destroying any white C-shaped grubs
Whitefly
Signs: Clouds of tiny white insects on leaf undersides; leaves yellow and become covered in sticky sooty mold
Control: Hang yellow sticky traps; spray undersides of leaves with insecticidal soap; use Encarsia formosa biological control under glass
Keep pelargonium x domesticum 'hazel carey' pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Pelargonium x domesticum 'Hazel Carey' pests — FAQ
What is eating my pelargonium x domesticum 'hazel carey'?
Pelargonium x domesticum 'Hazel Carey' (regal geranium) faces the standard regal geranium pest risks. Aphids are the most frequent nuisance, attacking soft shoots and buds. Vine weevil grubs are the most destructive threat in containers. Whitefly build up on leaf undersides in sheltered patio or greenhouse conditions.
How do I get rid of aphids on pelargonium x domesticum 'hazel carey'?
Dense colonies on new shoots and buds; sticky honeydew, sooty mold, and distorted leaf and flower growth Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil spray; remove infested shoot tips; use yellow sticky traps as an early warning tool
How do I get rid of vine weevil (otiorhynchus sulcatus) on pelargonium x domesticum 'hazel carey'?
Adult feeding creates notched leaf margins; grubs destroy the root system, causing rapid wilting and plant death Drench container compost with Steinernema kraussei nematodes in late summer; repot annually, removing and destroying any white C-shaped grubs
How do I get rid of whitefly on pelargonium x domesticum 'hazel carey'?
Clouds of tiny white insects on leaf undersides; leaves yellow and become covered in sticky sooty mold Hang yellow sticky traps; spray undersides of leaves with insecticidal soap; use Encarsia formosa biological control under glass