Dealing With Common Pests on Your Balfour Aralia Houseplant

As a proud plant parent of a Balfour aralia, I want to ensure my plant stays happy and healthy. Unfortunately, these tropical shrubs can be susceptible to some frustrating pests. During my time caring for aralias, I’ve battled my fair share of bugs.

Through trial and error combined with research, I’ve discovered some of the most common Balfour aralia pests, along with effective organic and chemical prevention and control methods. Read on to learn how to keep annoying insects off your prized polyscias!

Overview of the Graceful Balfour Aralia

Before diving into pesky critters let’s look at why these plants are worth protecting. The Balfour aralia (also called Polyscias balfouriana) is a popular houseplant, loved for its lush tropical look.

Native to the Solomon Islands this plant features slender, woody stems lined with oval dark green leaflets. It has an airy, graceful appearance with its delicate, fern-like leaves. When properly cared for, the Balfour aralia can grow up to around 6 feet tall indoors.

Aralias thrive in warm, humid conditions with bright, indirect light. They prefer loose, well-draining soil and frequent watering. Feed them regularly during spring and summer. With ideal care, you’ll be rewarded with a beautifully full, verdant plant.

Now let’s talk about how to prevent pests from destroying all your hard work!

Aphids

Aphids are tiny, pear-shaped bugs that come in a variety of colors like green, yellow, black, brown and white. These sap-sucking insects attach themselves to stems and leaves, where they feed on plant juices.

Signs of an aphid infestation include:

• Curled, twisted or distorted growth
• Sticky honeydew residue on foliage
• Clusters of small bugs on stems and undersides of leaves

Aphids reproduce rapidly, so it’s important to take action at the first sign of an infestation. Here are some effective treatments:

Organic Controls:

• Strong blasts of water to dislodge insects
• Insecticidal soaps or neem oil sprays
• Ladybugs and other beneficial predators like lacewings or parasitic wasps

Chemical Controls:

• Insecticides containing malathion, pyrethrins or acephate
• Systemic insecticides like imidacloprid applied to soil

Be sure to treat undersides of leaves and get good coverage. Repeat applications may be needed. Isolate heavily infested plants to prevent spreading.

Mealybugs

These pests look like small, white cottony blobs attached to stems and leaves. If you look closely, you can see their tiny legs and tail-like wax filaments.

Mealybugs suck sap like aphids. Problems they cause include:

• Stunted or distorted growth
• Leaf yellowing
• Sticky honeydew on foliage
• Sooty mold growing on honeydew

Mealybugs hide in crevices and under leaves, making them difficult to control. Try these treatment methods:

Organic Controls:

• Remove bugs manually with cotton swab dipped in alcohol
• Blast water to dislodge
• Horticultural oils or insecticidal soap sprays
• Systemic neem oil soil drench

Chemical Controls:

• Insecticides with pyrethroids, organophosphates or neonicotinoids
• Systemic insecticides applied to soil like imidacloprid

Repeat applications are often needed. Be sure to get into crevices where they hide. Severely infested plants may need to be discarded.

Spider Mites

Spider mites are tiny pests related to spiders. They are just barely visible to the naked eye. These little sucking bugs feed on plant cells, causing stippling, discoloration and drying of leaves.

Webbing on plants is the most obvious sign of spider mites. Other symptoms include:

• Stippled, mottled or bronzed foliage
• Leaf dropping
• Fine webs on undersides of leaves

Mites thrive in hot, dry conditions. Here are some ways to gain control:

Organic Controls:

• Strong stream of water to wash away webbing and bugs
• Insecticidal soap or neem oil sprays
• Release predator mites like Phytoseiulus persimilis

Chemical Controls:

• Insecticides containing abamectin, bifenazate or other miticides
• Systemics like acequinocyl absorbed into leaves

Isolate and discard severely infested plants. Treat undersides of leaves and repeat applications. Mites develop resistance easily, so rotate products.

Fungus Gnats

These tiny flying insects look like mosquitoes. They lay eggs in soil, and the larvae feed on plant roots, which can lead to stunted growth. Adults don’t directly harm plants, but are a nuisance.

Signs of fungus gnats include:

• Small black bugs flying around soil
• Silvery trails on soil surface from larvae
• Decline in plant health

Prevent fungus gnat infestations by allowing soil to dry out between waterings. Here are treatment methods:

Organic Controls:

• Remove top inch of soil which contains larvae
• Cover soil with sand or perlite to prevent adults laying eggs
• Use BTI based products like Mosquito Bits or Dunks

Chemical Controls:

• Pesticides containing azadirachtin, pyrethrins, spinosad or ABG mix
• Systemics like imidacloprid applied to soil to kill larvae

Yellow sticky traps catch adult gnats. Discard badly infested plants. Avoid overwatering to deter future problems.

Thrips

These tiny, winged pests rasp and suck cell contents from leaves, causing silver-white scarring, browning, distortion and leaf drop. They hide in flowers and leaf crevices.

Signs of thrips include:

• Silvery scars on leaves
• Black polka dots of excrement
• Distorted growth on new leaves and buds

Thrips are difficult to control but can be managed with vigilance. Treatment options include:

Organic Controls:

• Strong blasts of water to dislodge
• Insecticidal soaps or neem oil to suffocate
• Predatory mites like Amblyseius cucumeris
• Sticky cards to trap adults

Chemical Controls:

• Insecticides containing spinosad, pyrethroids or acephate
• Systemics like imidacloprid to kill larvae in leaves

Isolate infested plants. Spray leaf undersides thoroughly. It often takes multiple applications to control thrips.

Scale Insects

There are many types of scale including mealybugs and soft scales. These bugs embed themselves on stems and under leaves, sucking plant sap. Heavy infestations can severely weaken plants.

Signs include:

• Clusters of small bumps on stems or leaves
• Yellow spots or chlorotic tissue under scales
• Sticky honeydew and sooty mold growth

Controls for armored and soft scale include:

Organic Options:

• Remove physically with toothbrush or cotton swab dipped in alcohol
• Applications of horticultural oil or insecticidal soap
• Systemic neem oil applied as soil drench

Chemical Controls:

• Insecticides containing pyrethroids, organophosphates or other active ingredients
• Systemics like dinotefuran absorbed through leaves

Prune off heavily infested stems. Ensure good spray coverage, especially along midribs and veins where scales hide.

Integrated Pest Management

The best approach combines multiple strategies to control pests without overusing any single method:

• Monitor closely for early detection
• Remove bugs manually when possible
• Use insecticidal soaps or oils
• Apply targeted chemical pesticides only when necessary
• Release beneficials like ladybugs or predator mites
• Adjust watering and culture practices to discourage pests

This integrated pest management (IPM) strategy helps manage insects while minimizing risks. Always follow label directions carefully when using any pest control product.

Protect Your Precious Balfour Aralia

Caring for houseplants comes with the territory of dealing with pesky bugs. Thankfully with close observation and early intervention, aralia pests can be successfully managed.