Wednesday, December 16, 2009

My big castor oil plant which until now has grown lovely is now being manically eaten by what look like tiny?

woodlice what do i do?My big castor oil plant which until now has grown lovely is now being manically eaten by what look like tiny?
You don't state where you live. Not many creatures appear to feed on the castor oil plant, Ricinus communis. Some species of Clitheronia will do so but these are greenish caterpillars, not woodlice. Try a dusting with Pyrethrum; it is safe to use and will not harm the plantMy big castor oil plant which until now has grown lovely is now being manically eaten by what look like tiny?
? little woodlice. That sounds like it might be woolly aphis which is quite common on house plants. Are there little blobs of a white woolly substance as well? They can be easily wiped off or dabbed with a cotton bud soaked in methylated spirit. They tend to be persistent so keep a close watch for a couple of weeks after you think you have got rid of the last one!
Spray it with an insecticide is best but you can also use powder form insecticides too for dusting around the roots. Personally I would do both; re-pot it with new compost and dust this with anti-ant and beetle powder, then spray the leaves with suitable insecticide

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