Question
I bought a yucca cane a few months ago and at first it was doing fine.  Then the leaves started to turn yellow and brown.  I thought that I hadn't been giving it enough light(which I probably wasn't), but when I was moving it by the window I noticed little tiny white bugs on it.  Do you know what they would be or how I can get rid of them?  It almost looked like a bunch of sand where the leaves attach to the stem, but when I looked closer they were little white bugs.  They are white on the top and have red undersides.  They almost look like mini white fuzzy potato bugs.

Answer
Hi Krista,

The pests that you seem to be describing are mealybugs. You can treat them by throughly spraying ALL leaf and stem surfaces with a solution of 5 parts water and 1 part rubbing alcohol with an added squirt of liquid soap. Be sure to get lots of spray down in the crevices where the leaves attach to the stems.

The leaf discoloration is probably caused by something other than the pests. Inadequate light and/or improper watering will both cause leaves to die and for the plant to deteriorate. They will also stress the plant and make it more vulnerable to plant pests. So treating the pests may not stop the leaf discoloration.

Make sure your Yucca is right in front of a sunny window. Water it thoroughly only when the top quarter of the soil is dry.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

Visit my web site at www.HorticulturalHelp.com

If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.