To prevent pests from proliferating on your bonsai tree, make sure to water the leaves regularly. Learn to recognize the different pests that can attack your tree in order to select the appropriate solution to get rid of them.

Spider mites

Spider mites feed by piercing leaf tissue and sucking up the plant fluids. Feeding marks show up as light dots on the leaves, and eventually the leaves will turn yellow, dry up, and drop off. To get rid of spider mites, spread the leaves with canola oil: the oil will coat the adults, eggs and larvae, suffocate them and kill them.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs are soft-bodied, wingless insects that often appear as white cottony masses on the leaves and stems of the bonsai tree. When there are only a few, damage is not significant, but at higher numbers they can cause leaf yellowing and curling, and the whole tree to weaken. The best way to get rid of mealybugs will be to remove them by hand or brush them off. Because of their shell, they are non-sensitive to most natural treatments.

Aphids

Aphids are small, soft bodied, pear-shaped insects that may be green, yellow, brown, red or black in color. When there are only a few, damage is not significant, but at higher numbers they will cause leaf yellowing, wilting, and curling. To get rid of aphids, spread the leaves with canola oil: the oil will coat the adults, eggs and larvae, suffocate them and kill them.