Oleander pests: recognize and fight infestation

Unfortunately, there are some pests that target the oleander. We show you how to recognize and combat the symptoms of a pest infestation.

Ailing Oleander plants (Nerium oleander) easily fall prey to pests. Some louse species and spider mites in particular like to eat the oleander. However, since they significantly weaken the plants, they must be combated.

The right Caring for your oleander is of course the best prevention against pests. Healthy plants are more resilient and are not attacked as quickly as weak ones. A pest infestation often indicates a care error such as the wrong location. Too much nitrogen can also be the cause, as it makes the tissue softer and more vulnerable.

Recognize and combat spider mite infestation in oleanders

At low humidity you can Spider mites (Tetranychidae) become a problem. The small eight-legged animals are difficult to see with the naked eye and mainly sit on the underside of the leaf near the leaf veins. The infected leaves are initially lightly speckled, before they first turn silver, then gray-brown and finally fall off. Another distinguishing feature are webs that can be found in leaf axils and on leaf margins. If you suspect a spider mite infestation, take a handkerchief and wipe the underside of the leaf. You can then take a close look at the residue on the handkerchief. If the suspicion is confirmed, you should definitely do something about the mites.

Fight spider mite infestation in oleanders:

• As a preventive measure, plants that overwinter in a dry place that is not cool enough should be sprayed with water from time to time
• If the plant is infected, shower the whole plant lukewarm and wrap it in a plastic bag or a translucent garbage bag for three to four days; the high humidity kills the spider mites
• Rapeseed oil-based pesticides suffocate the spider mites; especially the undersides of the leaves should be treated

Recognize and control oleander aphids

Aphids (Aphidoidea) are much easier to spot than spider mites due to their size of a few millimeters. On the oleander they only sit on fresh shoots and inflorescences, where they pierce the plant to get its sweet juice. Their color spectrum is in the range between green, black or yellow. The first thing that is usually noticed is the white sheaths that appear when aphids are molted and that adhere to the plant.

As a result of the aphids, the plant is of course weakened. There are also deformations of the leaves and sooty mildew. The latter is a black film on the leaves. These are the excretions of the aphids on which black mushrooms settle, so-called soot-dew-like (Capnodiales).

Procedure for combating aphids on oleanders:

• Rinse the whole plant with a hard jet of water. The whole thing is repeated a few days later.
• Encourage aphids like predators Ladybug and Lacewing. Both are preferred in near-natural gardens, as this is where they find the best living space. Be careful not to harm them while controlling the aphids.
• If all else fails, add a tablespoon of soft soap and a small sip of alcohol to one liter of water and then spray the plant thoroughly. Ladybugs should be gently wiped off beforehand.

Recognize and control scale insects in oleanders

Scale insects (Coccoidea) are very unpleasant contemporaries and just like aphids they weaken the plant by tapping the nutrients and a poisonous secretion that they give into the plant. The infestation with scale insects can be recognized by their sticky secretion and the resulting sooty dew as well as by deformed leaves. The scale insects themselves mainly sit on the underside of the leaf and are usually brownish.

How to combat scale insects on oleanders:

• Spray the whole plant with a mixture of soft soap and water and let it take effect
• Then rinse the plant thoroughly with a hard jet of water
• Scale insects are stubborn and can be roughly removed with a cloth and a mixture of soft soap and water
• The predators of scale insects are ladybirds and lacewings; some parasitic wasp species even parasitize scale insects
• Neem oil is an effective pesticide that can be applied directly to the lice; however, try to keep as little as possible directly on the plant

Recognize and fight mealybugs in oleanders

Mealybug and mealybugs (Pseudococcidae) are the same. They belong to the scale insects, but their hairiness clearly distinguishes them from other scale insects. They are usually white or brownish and protect themselves with a waxy cover. This also makes it difficult to combat them. However, this is absolutely necessary because the mealybugs, like the scale and aphids, suck the sap and release a poison to the plant. In addition, mealybugs also produce a sweet secretion that leads to the formation of sooty mildew. The same procedure applies to control as for scale insects.

In general, of course, strong and healthy plants are less susceptible to pests. Everything you need to know about the right one Oleander care find out here. About the most common Diseases on the oleander you can also find out more here.