Recognize and fight pests

Which pests can I find on the elephant's foot?

As long as your elephant's foot is at a suitable one Location well cared for, you don't need to worry about any pests. Kick every now and then Spider mites or scale insects, thrips or mealybugs can occasionally occur. Pay attention to any pests, especially when buying, because you do not know how the elephant's foot was cared for and whether the location was optimal.

An infestation with Mealybugs you can recognize it quite reliably by the web, which is reminiscent of small cotton balls. Spider mites reveal themselves through their fine web on the leaf margin or in the leaf axils. Thrips can be seen as small dark spots.

Possible pests in the elephant foot:

• Spider mites
• Shidlice
• Mealybugs or mealybugs
• Thrips

What can I do against pests?

If your elephant foot is only slightly infected by pests, then try rinsing it off. A relatively powerful jet of water drives away the unpleasant creatures. So that

Earth including the roots does not get too wet, grab the pot in a plastic bag before you spray the elephant's foot with water at room temperature.

If the infestation is more severe, pure water may no longer be sufficient. Here you can add a little washing-up liquid or soap to the water. In addition, the trade offers some chemical agents against pests, such as special ornamental plant sprays or combined ones Fertilizer stick,(€ 9.82 at Amazon *) which also contain an anti-pest agent.

So that no more pests appear in the future, the infestation should first be combated effectively. To do this, you can isolate individual infected plants so that neighboring plants cannot be infected. After successful control, keep the humidity so high that the various pests no longer feel comfortable there. Some of them prefer dry air.