What's eating my warneckii dracaena?

Warneckii Dracaena is a robust houseplant but spider mites are its most frequent indoor pest, especially in heated, low-humidity rooms. Mealybugs and scale exploit the tightly packed leaf bases, while fungus gnats can colonize consistently overwatered soil. Check the white-striped foliage and cane base regularly for early signs.

Pale speckling on the green-and-white striped leaves; fine webbing along the midrib on leaf undersides Mist foliage and raise ambient humidity; spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil every 5–7 days; repeat for 3 weeks minimum

White fluffy wax at the base of leaves and in cane grooves; leaves yellow and plant vigor declines Dab colonies with rubbing alcohol; follow with a neem oil drench on all leaf surfaces; quarantine from other plants

Waxy brown bumps on stems; honeydew deposits and subsequent sooty mold on lower leaves Scrape off manually and treat with horticultural oil spray; repeat after 2 weeks to catch crawlers

Larvae in potting mix damage fine roots; adults are a nuisance around soggy soil Allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry fully between waterings; use yellow sticky traps for adults; drench soil with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) to kill larvae