What’s wrong with my plant? And how do I treat it. - Ask Extension
Asking if these are scale or what’s wrong with my plant. What are routes you would take to treat it? Thank you for your answer.
Knowledgebase
What’s wrong with my plant? And how do I treat it. #928337
Asked April 14, 2026, 10:05 AM EDT
Asking if these are scale or what’s wrong with my plant. What are routes you would take to treat it? Thank you for your answer.
Hennepin CountyMinnesota
Expert Response
Thank you for writing. This appears to be mealy bugs. It would be good to have a photograph looking down into the place where the leaves come off the stem. I suggest neem oil dilute it exactly to directions and use a sprayer to mist the plant. After an hour or so, gently wipe the leaves with Q-tips. The black area could be sooty mold, a fungus that grows because of the sweet sap (honey dew) from the bugs. As the mealy bugs die, the mold will soften, at this point very dilute detergent water should be used to clean the leaves. There is nothing to do about holes in leaves.
