aloe mite

Symptoms

Cauliflower-like green or pink galls on leaves and especially on flower stalks, distorted spongy growth, the plant survives but looks grotesque.

Plants affected

• aloe vera

Easily confused with

• oleander scale

  How to tell them apart: Aspidiotus nerii (oleander scale) appears as discrete, near-circular tan-to-cream waxy domes about 1-2 mm wide, often with a slightly darker raised spot near the centre, sitting ON TOP of an otherwise normal flat green leaf; you can flick one off with a fingernail and the leaf tissue underneath stays smooth and intact. Eriophyes aloinis (aloe mite) is NOT a thing sitting on the leaf — it is the leaf itself swelling into rough, warty, cauliflower-like galls, typically tinged orange-to-green, concentrated at leaf bases, leaf margins (a bubbly distorted fringe) and the growing point; these growths cannot be removed and the tissue stays permanently deformed even after treatment. Rule of thumb: removable separate bumps on flat tissue = scale; fused tumour-like distorted growth you cannot pick off = aloe mite.

Common questions

How do I recognise aloe mite on aloe vera?

Cauliflower-like green or pink galls on leaves and especially on flower stalks, distorted spongy growth, the plant survives but looks grotesque.

Do I have to report aloe mite?

No. aloe mite is not a notifiable organism, so there is nothing to report to an authority. Treat it as a normal garden problem.

How is aloe mite treated?

Mainly with biological and cultural measures — removing affected material, changing the conditions that favour it, and treating with agents approved in your country. The exact steps and their timing depend on the plant, the season and where you live: Dr. Phyto works them out in a free diagnosis.