Pest identification
What's eating my slender lady palm?
Spider mites (Tetranychus urticae)
Signs: Yellow stippling and fine webbing on frond leaflets; leaves become dull and drop in severe cases.
Control: Increase humidity around the plant. Spray with neem oil or a soap-based miticide, coating all frond surfaces. Repeat every 7 days for three applications.
Scale insects (Coccidae)
Signs: Brown, waxy bumps on cane stems and petioles; stunted growth and yellowing fronds.
Control: Remove scale manually with an alcohol-dipped cotton swab. Follow up with a horticultural oil spray to smother crawlers. Inspect cane bases closely as scale hides in stem sheaths.
Mealybugs (Planococcus citri)
Signs: White cottony clusters in leaf axils and at crown; sticky honeydew and sooty mold on lower leaves.
Control: Treat with a 70% isopropyl alcohol swab on visible colonies, then apply insecticidal soap spray across the whole plant. Isolate from other houseplants immediately.
Keep slender lady palm pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Slender Lady Palm pests — FAQ
What is eating my slender lady palm?
Slender Lady Palm (Rhapis humilis) grown indoors is most troubled by spider mites in dry air and scale lurking along cane stems. Mealybugs exploit the dense multi-stem habit. Monthly inspection of cane bases and frond undersides is the most effective preventive measure.
How do I get rid of spider mites (tetranychus urticae) on slender lady palm?
Yellow stippling and fine webbing on frond leaflets; leaves become dull and drop in severe cases. Increase humidity around the plant. Spray with neem oil or a soap-based miticide, coating all frond surfaces. Repeat every 7 days for three applications.
How do I get rid of scale insects (coccidae) on slender lady palm?
Brown, waxy bumps on cane stems and petioles; stunted growth and yellowing fronds. Remove scale manually with an alcohol-dipped cotton swab. Follow up with a horticultural oil spray to smother crawlers. Inspect cane bases closely as scale hides in stem sheaths.
How do I get rid of mealybugs (planococcus citri) on slender lady palm?
White cottony clusters in leaf axils and at crown; sticky honeydew and sooty mold on lower leaves. Treat with a 70% isopropyl alcohol swab on visible colonies, then apply insecticidal soap spray across the whole plant. Isolate from other houseplants immediately.