I was given a houseplant tree and have had it for almost 2 years. Starting a couple months ago I started noticing small holes and edges missing from the leaves that were clearing eaten by something. Now I'm finding the leaves are falling off prematurely and the leaves are sometimes completely eaten away. I cannot see any bugs and I'm at a loss and really don't want to sit and watch this beautiful tree die. Please help me, I'm clueless when it comes to this stuff. I will post pics of the tree and the damaged leaves. Thank you Also if anyone knows what kind of plant this is I would love to know. Thanks
All that white stuff on the branches and stems and leaves and I guess on the soil are mealy bugs. I didn't know that they caused that kind of damage, just thought they looked bad. I'm not sure that you can ever get rid of them. It will take washing them off everything, maybe soap and water. I then usually spray with alcohol either straight or diluted with water. Every few days for a while. And then every few days the next time I find them. For ever, as far as I can tell. You have to really love that plant and be willing to look it over carefully all the time as long as you have it. I haven't seen alcohol damage anything - my take has been that it either works without damaging the plant, or the plant goes. For a start, spray one of the white things with alcohol - the white will disappear and you'll see the bugs. Maybe that trick will work spraying just with water, but I don't think just water will kill the bugs. It's a hibiscus. I thought hibiscus just attracted spider mites.
Ah I was noticing all the white stuff yetserday and figured that was the cause. Its just so crazy to me how much damage those little things can do and thought I'd be looking for slugs or snails at the rate they are eating my plant. I will try the alcohol and wiping the leaves (just rubbing alcohol?) It really is a gorgeous plant and would hate for it to die. Thank you
I'm not really aware that those little bugs can do that much damage - maybe something else is eating the bugs and the leaves. I just buy the cheapest alcohol I can find at the drugstore, one bottle with a sprayer and then refills.
Might be worth checking at night to see if there are any vine weevils coming out of the soil under cover of darkness - the holes do look a bit like weevil damage.
