Quick answer
Visible pests or suspicious leaf spots on your air plant should be addressed early. Use the signs below to identify the problem and choose the right treatment.
Mealybugs. Test isopropyl alcohol of 70% or less on a small part of the plant first and wait 1–2 days to check for leaf damage. Then dab each one with a cotton swab dipped in it. If you use a neem product made for houseplants, follow its label. Test the spray on one leaf and wait two days before treating the whole plant, and skip any plant the label warns against. Check weekly: they hide.
Not a match? Compare the signs below to find the one you have.
How to tell
Small, brown, limpet-like bumps stuck to stems and the undersides of leaves, often with sticky honeydew.
The fix
Scrape them off gently with a fingernail or old toothbrush, then treat with a neem or horticultural-oil product made for houseplants, as its label directs, and keep checking. Test the spray on one leaf and wait two days before treating the whole plant, and skip any plant the label warns against.
How to tell
Fine webbing in the leaf joints, tiny moving dots, and a stippled, dusty look to the leaves. They thrive in the dry air many homes have.
The fix
Dab the leaves and stems clean with a damp cloth rather than rubbing them, give the plant good airflow, and treat with an insecticidal soap or neem product made for houseplants, repeating as its label directs until they are gone. Test the spray on one leaf and wait two days before treating the whole plant, and skip any plant the label warns against. Isolate it from other plants.
How to tell
Dark, soft patches at the base or on the leaves, usually after water stayed trapped between the leaves.
The fix
Shake it out well after every soak and let it dry upside down for a few hours in good airflow. Pull off any soft, dark leaves.
Inspect new plants before bringing them home, check the undersides of leaves now and then, give it good airflow, and isolate anything infested. Keep pets away from a treated plant until the spray has dried.
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