What's eating my serissa bonsai?

Serissa bonsai is sensitive and prone to stress, which invites pests. Spider mites are the biggest indoor threat in dry rooms. Scale and mealybugs hide in the dense twiggy growth. Root issues from overwatering attract fungus gnats. The plant drops leaves easily when stressed, making early pest detection critical to recovery.

Stippled, dull leaves; fine webbing on shoot tips; rapid leaf drop when infestation is heavy. Boost humidity around the plant; rinse undersides of leaves with water; apply neem oil or miticide spray twice weekly.

Waxy brown lumps on stems; leaves yellow; sooty mold on honeydew deposits. Scrape off and swab with alcohol; spray with horticultural oil; repeat until no crawlers are visible.

Adults are a nuisance; larvae eat fine roots and organic matter, causing wilting in small pots. Allow soil surface to dry between waterings; use yellow sticky traps; drench soil with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTi).