Aloes are the star players in many South African gardens, lending their strong architectural form and stunning blooms to a myriad of garden styles, therefore they are immensely popular for great-looking wildlife, grassland, succulent, or water-wise gardens. Anyone who loves and grows aloes will know that the plants are attacked by a variety of insects, mites, and fungi, and how imperative it is to take the treatment of these pests seriously, as many of them, if not treated early, will kill the entire plant.
There are many products available, far too many to mention here, but in this article I have provided several solutions for the various threats, as you may not find certain products in your area. If you can’t find them at your local garden centre, you will find them for sale online.
Good cultivation practices also go a long way in keeping your aloes healthy, so ensure that the spacing between plants is adequate, they receive sufficient sunshine, the soil has perfect drainage, and the plants are not overwatered.
All the products mentioned for the various pests and diseases listed below are documented in more detail at the very end of this article, as you will find that a single product may cover several of the aloe ailments mentioned, and you may only need a couple to cover them all.
Because I do not have access to good photographs of the pests and diseases listed below, to make it a lot easier to identify them, I have provided links to Google images of them.
White Aloe Scale
Click here to see Google images of White Aloe Scale
White scale is the most common aloe pest but is very easily treated. It is a resilient species of armoured scale with a hard outer coating covering the body which protects it from external influences such as diseases and pathogens. It starts off with what looks like a coin sized spot of white dust which spreads to form neat white rows of sucking insects, usually underneath the leaves. They can spread rapidly to cover more and more of the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves, and if left untreated, aloes will begin to lose vigour, ending up covered in what appears to be a white, waxy deposit. Eventually this deprives the plant of sunlight to the extent that it can deteriorate and die, so treat white aloe scale as soon as you see it.
Like aphids, scale insects secrete honeydew which attracts ants who ‘farm' the scale for its honeydew, and in return the ants protect the scale from predators. Ants crawling up and down the plant are a sign of possible scale infestation.
As scale insects have many natural predators such as ladybirds, predatory thrips and lacewings, controlling ant nests in the garden is one of the best ways to encourage natural predators, and without the protection of the ants these predators can help to control the scale.
When scale insects are young they are mobile and crawl around, searching for a place to attach to the plant. When they mature the adult females are immobile, while the males have tiny wings and are a bit more mobile. Control measures are most effective during the crawler stage, so preventative spraying can go a long way in protecting your plants.
Before you use chemical pesticides, try a high pressure jet of water from a hose pipe, but make sure the pressure is strong. This removes white scale like a charm and is great to use on tall tree aloes which are often difficult to reach.
Spraying with organic insecticidal soaps like Biogrow Neudosan works well for scale and provides quick results and instant pest protection. Biogrow Bioneem is a powerful insecticide made from natural ingredients derived from the seeds of the Neem tree. Its key ingredient is Azadirachtin, a naturally occurring substance.
Oil based formulations like Margaret Roberts Organic Insecticide will suffocate the insects. Biogrow Pyrol has naturally occurring plant oils as its active ingredients and kills all stages of insects; and Oleum is a white oil emulsion insecticide which will control may aloe problems.
And, if you spot the beginnings of white scale and don’t have any garden pesticides at home, simply grab a can of ‘Spray and Cook’ from the kitchen to use.
You will need to apply the remedies recommended above as a full cover spray, and repeat applications will be required if infestations are severe. Adding G49 wetter/sticker assists in breaking down the protective shell of white scale.
Once you have finished with your spraying regime, the scale will be dead, but it remains attached to the branches and can look unsightly, so after 10 days or so most gardeners like to gently rub it off with a soft brush. Brushing it off also allows you to easily spot any new populations later on. Some gardeners actually prefer to brush off the living scale insects first, spraying afterwards to ensure that all the insects are removed.
Biogrow Bioneem Picture courtesy BiogrowMealybugs
Click here to see Google images of Mealybugs
There are several species of mealybugs, and they are related to scale insects, but unlike their close relatives, mealybugs retain their legs throughout their life. Because of their appearance, mealybugs may be confused for cottony cushion scale or wooly aphids.
Mealybugs are un-armoured scale insects in the family Pseudococcidae, which are found in tropical, moist, and warm habitats. These insects are small pink, slow-moving oval insects that are covered with a white, cottony wax, and they can infest all plant parts including the roots.
Long-tailed mealybugs have waxy filaments extending from their hind end, giving the appearance of a tail, and are covered with a white or grey cottony wax. These mealybugs don’t lay eggs, but bear live young in a manner similar to aphids. The young are born live underneath the wax threads that form a halo around the female. The males are short-lived as they do not feed at all as adults and only live to fertilise the females.
Most adult egg-laying mealybug species secrete long and delicate white wax filaments that partially camouflage the female while she lays her eggs. Egg-laying is dependent on temperatures, with one generation developing every one to three months, and fewer eggs are laid at high temperatures. Young females go through three instars (stages) and are mobile their entire lives, laying up to 600 small yellow eggs in a protective cottony mass. The eggs only take 6 days to hatch, and after laying eggs over a period of 5 to 10 days, the female dies. Adult males are tiny and winged, but rarely seen, and they remain nymphs, meaning they remain in their immature stage and do not change greatly as they grow. They also only live for a few days, settling down to spin the protective cottony mass or cocoon around the eggs.
Once you notice any sign of mealybug, immediate measures must be taken to get rid of them. Mealybug colonies often appear at the base of aloe plants and leaves, looking like small tufts of white fuzz. They are not always noticed in the garden because they like to hide under branches, twigs or leaves, on the shaded and secluded parts of plants.
Infected plants will show stunted growth, yellowing of the leaves, distorted plant tissue, and leaf drop, and serious infestations can devastate many ornamentals like aloes. As mealybugs suck the sap from the plants and produce copious amounts of honeydew, this encourages the growth of a black fungus called “sooty mold”. Ants, who love the honeydew, protect the mealybugs against their natural predators. Yellowed or wilted foliage may also indicate an underground mealybug infestation. For potted specimens you can check for white cottony masses around drainage holes to determine whether a closer inspection of the roots is necessary. For specimens growing in garden beds you may be able to dig down into the soil a bit to try to identify them.
It's difficult to say exactly what causes them to show up, but overwatering seems to be a common cause, as is over fertilising. Remove and destroy any aloe with a severe mealybug infestation.
Mealybugs are treated in the same way as scale insects, and, as with scale, you can typically control small populations by washing them off with a strong jet of water, or rubbing the colonies off the leaves with a soft brush or cloth. Hydrogen peroxide 9% can also be useful as part of a treatment program for mealybugs.
Biogrow Neudosan; Biogrow Bioneem; Biogrow Pyrol; Margaret Roberts Organic Insecticide; and Oleum, all work well for mealybugs and scale insects.
If you suspect mealybugs in the soil, you can drench the soil with systemic products like Koinor.
Aphids
Click here to see Google images of Aphids
Click here to see Google images of Wooly Aphids
Aphids are sucking insects that are sometimes called “plant lice” and there are several species, all of which belong to the insect family Aphididae. All aphids are soft-bodied and pear-shaped with a pair of cornicles (tailpipe-like structures) projecting from the rear end of their abdomen, and the adults may, or may not, be winged. They come in various colours, like light and dark green, black, brown, pale yellow and grey
Generalizing the life cycle of all aphids is difficult because of the diversity of their life habits, ranging from single to multiple hosts. Aphids have many generations a year, and in mild climates they reproduce asexually throughout most, or all of the year, with adult females giving birth to live offspring, often as many as 12 per day, without mating.
However, at the end of the summer, when temperatures begin to drop and day length decreases, both males and females are produced. These aphids mate and the females then lay eggs on the appropriate host plant to overwinter. In spring, the eggs hatch and the aphids migrate onto their summer host plants, and although aphids are generally weak fliers, some species migrate considerable distances. Throughout the summer, wingless females predominate, but winged forms may arise when populations become too large for the available food source.
Woolly aphids find aloes particularly delectable. They have 3mm long, pear-shaped, bluish-black bodies that are covered in a fluffy white, waxy coating. The adults are winged and move to new locations where they lay egg masses. Often, they lay eggs on the primary host, the eggs overwinter, and females hatch in the spring and begin to produce live offspring. They will spend a few generations feeding and reproducing, without males, on the primary host plant.
Their feeding causes galls to form, and these cracked and swollen areas on branches or leaves are perfect entry points for diseases such as rots and canker, and one of the reasons that woolly aphids are such serious pests, and why they are sometimes called “American blight aphids”.
Woolly aphids as well as common aphids usually occur in the crown of the aloe, and they must be controlled as they spread viral diseases from plant to plant, and if infestations are severe they can destroy the crown of the aloe and even the entire plant. Aphids also feed at the bases of aloe leaves or in the rolled ends of damaged leaves, and although infestations can occur at any time of the year they are more common in spring because aphids love young, sappy plant growth.
All types of aphid secret sticky, sweet honeydew, which results in sooty mold development. Ants and aphids go hand in hand and the ants ‘farm’ the aphids for their honeydew, and in return they protect the aphids against their natural predators like parasitic wasps, hoverflies, lacewings, praying mantis, and even earwigs who love to snack on them as well.
Stunting and deformation of plant parts are common symptoms of aphid infestations. In addition, aphids are excellent vectors of several virus diseases such as a group of mosaic viruses that infect a wide host range. In some cases, the appearance of virus symptoms indicates that aphids are present.
To treat aphids, try to use organic sprays like insecticidal soap, or sprays containing canola oil, with or without garlic, or only fatty acids, as these will only kill soft bodied insects and not beneficial predators.
Biogrow Neudosan is a wonderful preventative spray, as are Bioneem and Pyrol. Alternating between Bioneem and Pyrol is great for preventing outbreaks of aloe pests like aphids, in both winter and summer. Margaret Roberts Organic Insecticide is another effective eco-friendly choice, and Oleum, which controls several aloe problems.
Red Spider Mites
Click here to see Google images of Red Spider Mites
Red spider mites (Tetrachys urticae) also known as two-spotted mites are tiny red arachnids which establish themselves on many crops and ornamentals, causing damage to leaves. The term “spider” is a bit misleading, because in reality this is a mite. However, it does have 8 legs, spins webs, and is related to the same zoological class as spiders, Arachnida. The mites are between 0.5 and 0.7mm long with an oval-shaped body, and the species vary in colour from greenish-yellow, brown, and red-orange, to virtually transparent.
Biogrow Pyrol Picture courtesy BiogrowSpider mite development differs somewhat between species, but a typical life cycle is as follows. The eggs are attached to fine silk webbing, and the larvae hatch in approximately three days, and two nymphal stages follow. After hatching from the egg, the first immature stage (larva) has three pairs of legs. The following nymphal stages, and the adults, have four pairs of legs. Both adults and juveniles feed on the underside of leaves, sucking out the cell contents, resulting in chlorotic spots on the upper leaf surface.
The length of time from egg to adult varies greatly depending on temperature. Under optimum conditions, when it is hot and dry, with temperatures around 27°C, spider mites complete their development in five to twenty days. The adult female lives two to four weeks and is capable of laying several hundred eggs during her life, ensuring that there are many overlapping generations per year.
Spider mites are the most common mites attacking woody plants and the two-spotted spider mite is considered to be one of the most economically important spider mites, as it has been reported to infest over 200 species of plants.
The red spider mite is a very common pest of aloes as it finds the sap irresistable, sucking it out of the leaves to absorb leaf cells, and on aloes they are usually first noticed by tell-tale, small pale markings on the surface of the leaf. These mites are mostly found on the underside of the leaves, and if you look closely, or with a magnifying glass, the alert observer may see many tiny, reddish creatures the size of small pin heads, scurrying to hide themselves. Another sign of infestation is the presence of fine webs on the leaves.
Aloes do not like these mites at all, and even the flowers may be distorted when they start emerging if they are subjected to the mite bites. Their feeding causes greying or yellowing of the leaves, and in the advanced stages of leaf damage the dying plant tissue causes necrotic spots to occur. Mite damage to the open flower causes a browning and withering of the petals that resembles spray burn.
As spider mites do not like moist conditions, spraying the entire plant down regularly with a strong jet of water is a very effective means of preventing or ridding the plant of this pest. If mites persist try Insecticidal Soaps, or Pyrethrum-based insecticides which work extremely well. Both petroleum-based horticultural oils and plant-based oils are also most effective. Always add a wetter/sticker like G49 to make the active ingredients stick to the leaves.
Because red spider mites quickly adapt to chemical threats, quickly building up immunity to many pesticides, alternating your sprays can be very effective. During hot and dry weather, try alternating between sprays of Bioneem and Pyrol at 10 to 14 day intervals. Margaret Roberts Organic Insecticide is also good to use against red spider mites, as well as Oleum.
Aloe Gall Mites
Click here to see Google images of Aloe Gall Mites
Aloe gall mites, also called “aloe wart mites” are Eriophyid mites that feed on many species of aloe and other succulents. They are not actually insects but spider relatives, and they can travel via water, wind, and even garden tools, and very often they go unnoticed until galls appear as a result of their feeding. The first sign of gall mites is a new but crooked flower cluster that emerges from a plant. Upon closer inspection, you may also see the first signs of frilly growth on the flower stalk which develops into unsightly galls on the small flower stalks that form the cluster as it matures. The same galls may also start as an irregular growth on the bases of older leaves, often where an earlier flower stalk has dried. This galling has been nicknamed "aloe cancer" since it is irreversible and often leads to the death of the plant. For this reason, they are a key pest for cultivators of succulents.
Gall mites produce as many as eight generations a year, and each female lays 80 eggs a month. Tree aloes are often the source of infestation where huge galls form on old flower stalks, and if left untreated can spread their inhabitants for many years. Aloes growing together are very vulnerable and easily infected, even if they touch an infected plant.
Control options for aloe mites are limited because the mites are protected within the galls, making them impervious to topical pesticides as the spray will not reach them. Also, products available for home use on gall mites are generally not systemic like some of the remedies available to commercial growers, so the home gardener must be extra vigilant and deal with aloe mites immediately. If the problem is ignored the mites can quickly spread to all your aloes, making it a very difficult task to eradicate them.
If you have identified this problem in your area or garden, it is always best to physically remove the gall growths or deformities caused by the mite by cutting away the affected tissue well below any signs of infestation. Use a clean, sharp blade, and treat the cuts with a strong solution of the topical or systemic insecticide you have opted to use to help combat these pests. If the problem is severe, it is often best to remove the whole plant and dispose of it. The best way to dispose of these growths is to burn them or bag them for the trash, never leave them lying around your garden or put them in your compost heap.
Preventative topical spraying can be helpful as long as it is done regularly, and is applied properly as a full cover spray with a high pressure sprayer, and the same insecticide you select to use can also be applied immediately after cutting out the galls. Always add a good wetting agent like G49 when spraying for mites.
Karbaspray (Carbaryl) is an effective product for gardeners to use to control these mites. Alternating insecticides from different chemical classes is recommended as mites become resistant to chemicals extremely quickly. Alternating between Biogrow Bioneem, and Pyrol, is effective for preventing outbreaks of aloe pests in both winter and summer. Biogrow Neudosan is also effective against many other soft-bodied insects, and many gardeners and growers use Hydrogen peroxide 9% as part of a program to treat aloe mites.
Snout Beetles
Click here to see Google images of Snout Beetles
The Curculionidae are a family of weevils, commonly called “snout beetles” or “true weevils”. They are one of the largest animal families with 6,800 genera and 83,000 species described worldwide. Most beetles are more active, and therefore more frequently encountered during the warm, wet season. And because snout beetles are nocturnal, you will not notice them unless you go out at night with a torch.
Two species of snout beetle attack aloes in the garden, a smaller one about 10mm long, and a much bigger one with a length of up to 25mm. These beetles are grey to dark brown and black in colour, with a very distinctive elongated head that looks like a snout.
It is vital that you inspect your aloes regularly for snout beetles as they are the No. 1 enemy of all aloes, and early detection and treatment are the gardener’s best defence against them. The earliest signs of damage, even before the eggs have been laid, are unsightly dark depressions on the leaves with a puncture mark in the middle, where the adult beetles have been grazing.
They target the centre of the aloe plant, where they wedge themselves between the leaves to insert their proboscises to drink the leaf sap. Once the beetles have mated they deposit their eggs at the base of the leaf, and the newly hatched larvae bore straight down into the stem of the plant, where they spend the remainder of their life cycle. If not treated, the rot and destruction caused by the larvae is what will eventually kill a plant.
Because the beetles start feeding at the centre of the crown and then move outwards, the number of dark spots, and their distance from the centre of the plant, is a good indication of how long the beetles have been active. Many perforations away from the centre of the plant mean that the larvae have already hatched and are destroying the plant from the inside.
Biogrow Neudosan Picture courtesy BiogrowThe easiest way to prevent and treat infestations is to drench the soil twice a year, in spring and again in midsummer, with a systemic insecticide like Kohinor, which is recommended by many aloe growers to eradicate sap sucking bugs. The reason systemic insecticides are so effective is that they are taken up by the sap of the plant, and drilling tiny holes into the stem and injecting systemic insecticide into them is also effective for treating snout beetle larvae and other aloe pests like aphids, scale and mealybug.
Biogrow Bioneem is good as a preventative and contact bio-pesticide for the control of snout beetles and other aloe pests as it is a growth regulator, anti-feedant, and general insect repellent which disrupts the normal metabolic activity of insects.
If the infestation is very severe, and for those gardeners who prefer not to use pesticides, the only solution would be to physically remove and kill both the beetles and their larvae as soon as they are spotted. This method works best on multi-stemmed aloes but not so well for tree aloes. Cut off the infected stems about 20cm below the leaves in order to remove all traces of the grubs. Keep cutting off 1cm sections of stem until there are no more signs of their tunnels. Provided the meristem of the plant has not been destroyed, the leafy crown can be dried out for a few weeks and then re-rooted. The bottom part of the stem is useless unless there are healthy stem shoots. Burn or bag all infected material to prevent further outbreaks.
Sooty Mold
Click here to see Google images of Sooty Mold
Sooty mold is a fungal infection that is secondary to an infestation of aphids, scale, or mealybugs. These aloe pests suck moisture out of plants and leave a clear, sticky substance called “honeydew” behind on the leaves. The honeydew is loved by ants, who return the favour by protecting the insects producing it. Eventually the honeydew creates a moist atmosphere that provides the perfect microclimate for the development of black sooty mold. However, it’s not the mould that can kill the plants, but rather the insects.
To address sooty mold, first treat the plants to rid them of the sucking insects. Wash off the honeydew with soapy water, as it hardens over time, lessening the amount of light reaching the leaves, and therefore reducing photosynthesis.
Once honeydew-producing insect numbers are reduced, honeydew production will lessen, and sooty mold will gradually decrease. It can be difficult to totally eliminate this fungal disease, but routine spraying of your aloes to keep the insects at bay, and the occasional spray with soap and water, or an insecticidal soap, should suffice to keep your plants free from serious infestations.
Fungus Gnats
Click here to see Google images of Fungus Gnats
Fungus gnats are very tiny insects, about the size of a fruit fly, that primarily affect overwatered indoor pot plants, but can also affect aloes that are kept overly moist. Fuzzy grey flies fluttering above the soil are usually an indication of fungus gnats. Attracted to the moisture in the soil, adult gnats, which live for about one week, will lay up to 200 eggs on organic matter near the surface of the soil. After about three days, the eggs hatch into larvae, which thrive in damp soil, burrowing down to feed on fungi and decaying plant materials, and two weeks later new adult gnats will emerge once again.
Fungus gnat damage will appear similar to that of any other root-related issue, such as root rot. The lower leaves may turn yellow and drop and the plant’s growth may slow down or stop completely.
Because fungus gnats are generally the result of overly wet soil, they are easy to prevent altogether by not overwatering. If your aloe plants are already infested, allowing the soil to dry out completely, and leaving it dry for a while, will kill the gnats and prevent them from spreading. If gnat infestation is very severe you may need intervention.
Biogrow Pyrol controls most insects, including fungus gnats; and hydrogen peroxide 9% is highly recommended for fungus gnats as it kills larvae and eggs on contact, effectively killing off all infant gnats and disrupting the lifecycle, but one must hit every mite to get rid of them as there is no residual effect, so a full cover, high pressure sprayer is essential.
Sticky card traps are simply a yellow note card covered in a sticky adhesive. They are most effective when cut into small squares and placed directly on top of the soil, or attached to skewers just above the soil. Adult gnats will fly or crawl onto the card and become trapped in the glue. Fungus gnats are attracted to the colour yellow, so use the yellow sticky cards rather than the blue ones. Flypaper ribbons, such as those hung in horse barns to catch outdoor flies, can also be used to catch fungus gnats.
Cider-vinegar traps are simple and effective to control fungus gnats. Find a shallow container—a tuna can is perfect—and fill it with equal parts water and apple cider vinegar. Put a few drops of liquid dish soap into the mixture and stir gently. Place the trap near the base of the affected plant, check it every few days, and refresh with new vinegar and water as required.
Aloe Rust
Click here to see Google images of Aloe Rust
Aloe rust is a fungal infection caused by the fungi Phakopsora pachyfhiza and Phakopsora meibomiae, causing black or brown circular spots on the leaves of aloes. The fungus invades the outer leaf structure and oxidizes the organic compounds in the leaf structure called “phenols”, presenting as small, pale yellow spots which expand, and the spots become blackened and hard.
Many plant species can serve as hosts for these fungi, and the spores are produced 10 days after infection and are released about three weeks after that. The spores are carried by the wind and can travel a long distance, and as long as the environment is moist with moderate temperatures, spores will continue to be generated. This disease favours cool temperatures and high humidity, and conditions that favour infection are extended periods of leaf wetness and a temperature range of 16 to 28°C. Temperatures above 30°C prevent development of the disease.
There are some ways to help prevent aloe rust from occurring. Firstly if you are watering overhead, try to do this early to allow the leaves to dry out quickly, as wet leaves encourage infections. Good air circulation around the plants is also recommended in regions prone to this disease.
This disease is self-limiting and requires no treatment because it does not kill the plant, but it is unsightly and may be treated by spraying a solution of one heaped teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda in one litre of water, and adding a sticker/wetter like G49.
Foliar fungicides containing copper oxychloride like Biogrow Copper Soap will also help. New growth will not show signs of the rust, and because most aloes lose their leaves as they grow upward, you can allow them to remain on the plants, and when they fall off, throw them in the trash.
Biogrow Copper Soap Picture courtesy BiogrowBiogrow Copper Soap is a natural organic fixed copper fungicide, and, as with most fungicides it acts to protect plants from infection. Therefore, it is important to have the copper soap on the leaf, flower or fruit before the pathogen is able to cause an infection.
Anthracnose Disease
Click here to see Google Images of Anthracnose Disease
Anthracnose disease shows initially as small round to oval, dark green, water-soaked spots, which later become circular with tan to light brown centres. As the spots mature the centre of the lesion becomes reddish-brown to brown in colour, progressing to form lesions which join together to form big necrotic areas. This fungal disease is favoured by warm, wet weather, and is spread easily during wet weather by water splash.
It can be controlled by the application of a suitable fungicide like Biogrow Copper Soap, a natural organic fixed copper fungicide, which protects against black spot, rust, downy and powdery mildew, botrytis rot and early and late blight.
Basal Stem Rot
Click here to see Google images of Basal Stem Rot
Basal stem rot turns the base of the plant reddish brown to black and causes rotting. This is a fatal disease of aloes and its emergence favours cold, damp conditions. Ensure that the soil has perfect drainage, and avoid overwatering. Try to save pieces of the plant which are not infected by taking cuttings above the rotted portion.
Bacterial Soft Rot
Click here to see Google images of Bacterial Soft Rot on Aloes
Bacterial soft rot symptoms show as watery, rotting leaves which are darker in colour, with even the young leaves wilting and collapsing, and bulging leaves due to gas formation inside. This fatal disease can be avoided by not overwatering plants. This bacterium survives in plant debris in the garden, and its emergence is favoured by hot, wet weather. Remove the infected plants, burning, or bagging them for the trash.
Find more detailed information on the products recommended in this article below.
Commercial succulent growers and serious aloe collectors recommend products with names like, Imidacloprid and Merit, to control serious pests like snout beetles, however you will not find these at your garden centre, but they are available online – at a price!
Prevention is always better than cure so spraying to prevent certain pests and diseases from occurring in the first place is often the wisest solution. It’s also vital you inspect your plants regularly, and take action immediately pests or diseases are noticed. And when you do have too spray, applying them with a high pressure sprayer will provide a full cover spray which ensures that treatments reach all the pests hiding underneath the leaves. Adding a wetter/sticker like G49 to you spray is essential for the mixture to stick to the leaves of aloes. Mix only sufficient product for one application, and make a fresh batch each time you spray, because diluted pesticides or fungicides will not keep.
Sprays are more effective if applied during the cooler times of the day, and any oil-based solution should never be applied during the heat of the day, or when temperatures are 30°C or higher. Please remember that even natural oil sprays can also kill beneficial insects, so try to spray when insects are not active, and spray only as recommended.
Biogrow Bioneem
Bioneem is a powerful insecticide made from natural ingredients derived from the Neem tree. Its key ingredient is Azadirachtin; a naturally occurring substance that belongs to a class of organic molecules called Tetranortriterpenoids, found in the seeds of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica.)
Bioneem is recognized as an organic product by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). IFOAM is a worldwide organization advocating for organics, with over 700 affiliates in more than 100 countries and territories.
Azadirachtin serves as a feeding deterrent for many insects, causing them to stop feeding upon ingestion of even minute quantities, targeting and blocking an insect's vital hormones, disrupting its life cycle, and preventing it from reaching adulthood. As a result Bioneem provides reliable control over insect populations. It does not have an instant knockdown effect, and it normally takes 3 to 7 days for death to occur, however damage is reduced almost immediately due to the anti-feeding effect of the product.
Insects that feed on plant tissue will ultimately succumb to Bioneem's effects, while those that feed on nectar or other insects rarely come into contact with significant concentrations of neem products. Therefore, it is effective without harming beneficial insects like bees, ladybugs and wasps.
Bioneem is wonderful to use as a preventative bio-pesticide, or as a contact spray for controlling very serious aloe pests like the snout beetle, and others like mealybugs, aphids, and spider mites.
Bioneem also protects against bollworm, codling moth, and fruit fly, and can be used throughout the garden on ornamentals, deciduous fruit trees and vegetables.
Bioneem has been found to be compatible with most commonly used fungicides, insecticides, and fertilisers. Apply in early to mid-morning or late afternoon. Do not apply in temperatures above 30°C.
Biogrow Pyrol
Pyrol is an organic, fast acting, broad spectrum insecticide consisting of 5% Pyrethrum and 89.5% Canola Oil, and these naturally occurring plant oils do not persist in the environment. However, as with all oil-based sprays it can affect beneficial insects, and is therefore best used judiciously to reduce bad infestations. Pyrol can be used as a dormant and growing season insecticide, and kills all stages of insects, including their eggs, on contact.
It controls most insects, including those which love aloes, such as aphids, mealybugs, mites, scale, fungus gnats, and many types of beetles, and although it does not specify snout beetles, I believe preventative spraying could also aid with these. During dormancy in winter, plants can be sprayed with Pyrol for the control of scale insects and the overwintering mealybug.
Pyrol is used on many other garden plants as well to protect them from caterpillars (e.g., gypsy moth caterpillars, tent caterpillar, diamondback moth larvae, leaf rollers), white-flies, adelgids, sawfly larvae, psyllids, spittlebugs, and phylloxera, to name a few.
Ensure thorough wetting on the top and underside of leaves, and spray in coolest part of the day. Under high insect infestation apply every 7 days. Under periods of low infestation apply every 14 days. Repeat as necessary.
Biogrow Neudosan
Neudosan is wonderful preventative spray to safeguard plants from predatory insects, making it an environmentally conscious choice for pest control. It is a powerful yet totally natural bio-pesticide soap, formulated using potassium salts of fatty acids, and provides quick results and instant pest protection.
Neudosan is effective against many soft-bodied insects, including those that plague aloes, like scale, aphids, mealy bugs, and mites.
It is also used on many other garden crops and edibles and is very effective in controlling whiteflies.
The use of this insecticidal soap on the day of harvest is safe, as it does not leave behind any toxic residues that could compromise the quality of your harvest.
Because it has to come into contact with the pests to kill them, a full cover spray is essential to be effective.
Margaret Roberts Organic Insecticide
Margaret Roberts Organic Insecticide is a great eco-friendly choice to use against aloe pests like scale, aphids, red spider mites, mealybugs, as well as many other garden pests. It's a potent blend of canola oil and garlic extract, meticulously formulated to protect your precious plants without harming the environment.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide 9% can also be useful as part of a treatment program for mealybugs, aloe mites, aphids, and spider mites. It is also highly recommended for fungus gnats as it kills larvae and eggs on contact, effectively killing off all infant gnats and disrupting the lifecycle. You should be able to buy hydrogen peroxide from any pharmacy, or online. Because aloe leaves have a thick surface many growers use the hydrogen peroxide undiluted, combined with a wetting agent like G49. Others advocate diluting it with water using ratio of 1:1 or 1:2, but one must hit every mite to get rid of them as there is no residual effect, so a full cover, high pressure sprayer is essential.
Oleum
Oleum is a white oil emulsion insecticide that will control may aloe problems like scale, aphids, red spider mite, mealy bug, and woolly aphids, as well as many other insect pests on various crops.
This product blocks the breathing pores of insects causing suffocation and rapid death of eggs, larvae, and nymphs of insects and mites, as well as the adults of soft-bodied insects.
Any oil-based solution should never be applied during the heat of the day, or when temperatures are 30°C or higher; and thorough coverage of pests is essential. Dead scale may remain on the plants for a few weeks after spraying.
Members can click here to find a DIY recipe to make white oil for an insecticide
Biogrow Copper Soap
Biogrow Copper Soap is a natural organic fixed copper fungicide, made by combining a soluble copper fertiliser with a naturally occurring fatty acid. The copper and the fatty acid combine to form a copper salt of the fatty acid, known technically as “soap”. It decomposes to form soluble copper, and fatty acid, both of which can be used by microbes and plants.
Copper Soap controls many common diseases of a wide range of plants, using low concentrations of copper, down as low as 90ppm. The net result is an excellent vegetable, fruit and ornamental fungicide.
It protects against black spot, rust, downy and powdery mildew, botrytis rot and early and late blight.
As with most fungicides it acts to protect plants from infection. Therefore, it is important to have the copper soap on the leaf, flower or fruit before the pathogen is able to cause an infection.