White flakes on aloe vera

What is behind the white flakes on aloe vera?

If you notice white flakes on your aloe vera, it is one Mealybug infestation. The animals are two to three millimeters in size. Their trivial names "woolly louse" or Mealybugs go back to the woolly and lubricating hair of the insects.
Mealybug prefer warm and dry conditions, which is why they mainly occur in winter (keyword: dry heating air). Since the wool spots are hardly recognizable at the beginning, the pests spread quickly. Sticky patches are often the first sign of infestation.

How do I get rid of the white flakes on aloe vera?

Against Mealybug help on the aloe vera various measures, the depending on the infestation pressure come into use.

Weak infestation

• Use a toothpick or a sharp pencil to poke the white flakes in the ball of wool
• Spray aloe vera with soapy water (15 ml potash soap to one liter of water)

Medium infestation

If biting the lice becomes too difficult, the following measures are more effective:

• Brush the white flakes off the leaves
• Then wipe with soapy water
• Spray inaccessible places with the soapy water

Heavy infestation

• Cut off badly affected aloe vera leaves
• Dispose of in household waste
• Treat remaining leaves as for light or moderate infestation

How do I prevent an infestation with the white flakes?

Since mealybugs can survive poor environmental conditions for months, you should already be at the purchase Look out for white flakes or sticky spots of honeydew on the aloe vera. In healthy plants, bend with the right one Care an infestation. The latter includes:

• the right one Location for the aloe vera choose
• regular Fertilize the houseplant
• Aloe vera according to your needs pour