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  • Coleus Plant Problems

    Created by Luvballroomdance on July 14, 2016 at 4:41 pm

    Moths are eating my coleus plants and I don’t know what to do about them. I haven’t seen any caterpillars, just the moths. Sometimes I see a few in the grass, but I don’t see any caterpillars there either. How can I get rid of this problem before my coleus are all gone?

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  • July 15, 2016 at 7:16 am #204690

    Eric Vinje
    Keymaster

    Hello –

    Coleus are brightly colored, partial-shade loving plants that come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. This member of the mint family grows well in borders and containers, but will occasionally come under attack from a number of pests and disease. Common coleus problems include:

    Pests
    • Mealybugs
    • Aphids
    • Slugs
    • Spider Mites
    • Whitefly

    Disease
    • Powdery Mildew
    • Downy Mildew
    • Root Rot

    From your description, I think that the moths that you are seeing are actually whiteflies, but they are a sucking insect and don’t typically eat plants. Look for slugs too! I’ve included a couple links below that I hope help.

    https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/garden-pests/slug-control/
    https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/houseplant-pests/whitefly-control/

    Good luck!

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