Another pest that ruins the appearance of affected plants. Easy to detect but very difficult to kill off completely once they have made a home in the tangled branches of such climbing plants as stephanotis and hoya. One is often invited to visit the greenhouse of an enthusiastic amateur and see the wonderful range of plants being cultivated under one roof.

Many of these plant collections are managed extremely well but often enough an incredible infestation of mealy bug will be shrugged off with the comment, ‘Of course, there is a bit of bug about.’ The sad part of it all is that a thorough drenching spray regularly repeated would lead to considerable improvement.

Mealy bug is another pest that may be encountered. Not very particular about which part of the plant he inhabits, he does have a penchant for finding his way between twisting stems and overlapping leaves where he can he particularly inaccessible to any pest control that may be used. One consolation is that mealy bugs are not difficult to see, as they wrap their young in a cotton wool-like substance. Adult bugs are very similar to small wood lice and powdery white in colour.

The important thing with these pests, as with all others, is to keep on top of them, as they are much more of a problem once they have become established. The good grower practises a policy of prevention rather than cure – possibly a simpler task on the nursery than in the living room or kitchen. But it does, nevertheless, pay to keep a watchful eye for unwanted visitors on one’s plants.

A fortune must be spent annually by growers of all sorts of plants in their efforts to keep red spider mite under control, so there is no lack of material when choosing an insecticide with which to treat them. It would be foolish to list the insecticides that are available as they are changing and, we are told, being improved upon all the time. The helpful plant retailer will be the best person to consult in order to obtain advice on the current popular product. Thereafter, follow the manufacturer’s directions, and be sure to thoroughly saturate the undersides of plant leaves. In order to discourage attack from red spider a moist environment should be maintained around the plants and dry atmosphere and arid conditions should be avoided.

They can be seen with a small magnifying glass mostly on the undersides of leaves, and pin-prick holes in the leaf are an indication that red spider mites are present. Red spider seem particularly partial to some plants, of which Iledera canariensis is one. When spider is well established small criss-crossing webs can be seen on the undersides of leaves, and as they drain the sap- from the plant the leaves become light brown at the edges and the plant takes on a generally dry and hard appearance. Where the growing conditions are very hot and dry the risk of red spider becoming a nuisance is very much increased. Finally, a pest that attacks the roots of plants is root mealy bug. It is not often encountered but is sometimes seen on plants which remain in the same pots for long periods, bromeliads being good examples. Araha elegantissima is another.