Pest identification
What's eating my shining sundew?
Fungus gnats
Signs: Larvae devastate the fine, shallow root system in the wet sandy substrate, causing rapid collapse of the tiny rosette.
Control: Yellow sticky traps are essential — adults are clearly visible at this scale. Top-dress with clean white silica sand. Water exclusively by tray to deny adults a moist surface to lay eggs on.
Aphids
Signs: Though the rosette is tiny, aphids colonise the proportionally tall flower scapes, weakening the plant disproportionately.
Control: Use a fine artist's paintbrush dipped in isopropyl alcohol to remove colonies from flower scapes without touching the plant's own glandular leaves.
Mealybugs
Signs: White cottony masses appear near gemmae pads and at the base of the rosette, particularly in winter when plant activity slows.
Control: Apply isopropyl alcohol with a fine brush or needle directly to each mealybug. Isolate the plant from other pygmy sundews immediately — gemmae are dispersed by contact and can carry pests.
Keep shining sundew pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Shining Sundew pests — FAQ
What is eating my shining sundew?
Drosera nitidula is a petite pygmy sundew from Western Australia with gem-like, highly glandular leaves. Fungus gnats are the most damaging pest — larvae wreak outsized havoc on the plant's tiny root system. Aphids target flower scapes. Mealybugs can settle around gemmae (the vegetative propagules) in winter. A magnifying glass helps spot problems early on this miniature species.
How do I get rid of fungus gnats on shining sundew?
Larvae devastate the fine, shallow root system in the wet sandy substrate, causing rapid collapse of the tiny rosette. Yellow sticky traps are essential — adults are clearly visible at this scale. Top-dress with clean white silica sand. Water exclusively by tray to deny adults a moist surface to lay eggs on.
How do I get rid of aphids on shining sundew?
Though the rosette is tiny, aphids colonise the proportionally tall flower scapes, weakening the plant disproportionately. Use a fine artist's paintbrush dipped in isopropyl alcohol to remove colonies from flower scapes without touching the plant's own glandular leaves.
How do I get rid of mealybugs on shining sundew?
White cottony masses appear near gemmae pads and at the base of the rosette, particularly in winter when plant activity slows. Apply isopropyl alcohol with a fine brush or needle directly to each mealybug. Isolate the plant from other pygmy sundews immediately — gemmae are dispersed by contact and can carry pests.