What's Eating Your Gerbera Daisy?

Gerbera jamesonii

Reviewed by Kiersten Rankel M.S.

Quick Answer

For gerbera daisy, the most likely culprits are thrips (the biggest threat, scarring petals on the daisy bloom and spreading tomato spotted wilt virus) and whiteflies (clouds of tiny white insects on leaf undersides that also vector viruses). Spider mites explode on indoor potted gerberas in hot dry summer air. Aphids cluster on flower stalks and the basal leaf rosette in spring.

Stay on top of plant care

Get seasonal reminders for watering and fertilizing, personalized for your plants.

Try Greg Free

What does the damage look like?

Tap the closest match to jump straight to the fix.

Streaked, scarred petals

›

Cloud of tiny white insects

›

Pale dots and fine webbing

›

Clusters on flower stalks

›

Pests, ranked by impact

Thrips

Damage

High

Removal

Hard

What it looks like

Slender insects 1 to 2 mm long, pale yellow to dark brown, almost too thin to see without a hand lens. Hide deep inside flower buds, between petal layers of the daisy bloom, and tucked into the fuzzy leaf rosette at the soil line. Gerbera is one of the most thrips-prone flowers in cultivation.

What the damage looks like

Silvery streaks and brown scars across the petals of the daisy bloom, the entire reason most growers keep gerbera. Buds open distorted or fail to open at all. Tiny black specks of thrips waste sit on the petals. Worst of all, thrips spread tomato spotted wilt virus, which causes ringspots on leaves and kills the plant with no cure.

How to get rid of them

Option 1

Blue sticky traps plus spinosad spray, weekly for 4 weeks

Hang blue sticky traps (Trappify or Stingmon, ~$10) at flower height to catch flying adults and read population pressure.

Spray spinosad (Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew or Monterey Garden Insect Spray, ~$12 to $15) into the open daisy blooms, between petal layers, and across the basal leaf rosette at dusk.

Repeat weekly for 4 weeks. Spinosad is one of the few products that reaches thrips inside flower buds.

Option 2

Deadhead spent blooms the moment petals droop

Cut off every faded flower at the base of the single stem before petals brown. Spent blooms are where thrips lay eggs and where the next generation emerges. Bag and discard. Do not compost. Steady deadheading alone cuts thrips pressure on gerbera by more than half.

Option 3

Pull and destroy any plant with virus ringspots

If a gerbera shows yellow or brown ringspots on the leaves with stunted distorted growth, it has tomato spotted wilt virus. There is no cure. Pull the entire plant, bag it, and throw it out. Wash hands and tools before touching healthy gerberas. The infected plant will keep feeding the thrips that infect every other flower nearby.

Whiteflies

Damage

High

Removal

Hard

What it looks like

Tiny moth-like white insects 1 to 2 mm long that fly up in a cloud when you brush the plant. Cluster on the underside of leaves in the basal rosette. The fuzzy leaf surfaces don't slow them down because they feed at the leaf edge and along veins.

What the damage looks like

A cloud of white insects rising when you touch the leaves. Yellow tiny pale dots spreads across the upper leaf surface. A sticky shiny film coats the lower leaves and the soil below, often with black sooty mold growing on the residue. Whiteflies also vector several gerbera viruses, which is the bigger long-term threat.

How to get rid of them

Option 1

Yellow sticky traps plus insecticidal soap, weekly for 4 weeks

Hang yellow sticky traps (Trappify, ~$10) just above the leaf rosette to trap flying adults and gauge pressure.

Spray ready-to-use insecticidal soap (Safer Brand, ~$10) on the underside of every leaf in the rosette at dusk. Whiteflies live almost exclusively under the leaves.

Repeat weekly for 4 weeks. The soap kills only on contact and the eggs hatch over time, so consistency matters more than strength.

Option 2

Neem oil rotation every 5 days for 3 rounds

Mix 2 tablespoons cold-pressed neem oil and 1 teaspoon dish soap per gallon of water.

Spray the underside of every leaf in the basal rosette at dusk. Avoid spraying open blooms.

Repeat every 5 days for 3 rounds. Covers the egg-to-adult cycle and disrupts feeding.

Option 3

Vacuum adults at dawn before they warm up

Run a small handheld vacuum slowly over the leaf rosette early in the morning. Whiteflies are sluggish in cool temperatures and get sucked up before they fly. Empty the canister into a sealed bag in the freezer for 24 hours. Repeat 3 mornings in a row to break the breeding cycle.

Spider mites

Damage

High

Removal

Moderate

What it looks like

Almost invisible without a hand lens. Yellow-green to red-orange specks on the underside of leaves in the basal rosette. Hot dry summer air on indoor potted gerberas drives a population explosion in days. The fuzzy leaf surface offers some resistance, but stressed plants in heat lose that defense fast.

What the damage looks like

Tiny pale yellow dots running across the upper leaf surface. The dots merge into bronze patches and the lower leaves of the rosette dry and curl. Fine webbing strung between leaf bases in heavy infestations. Stressed gerberas in summer heat can defoliate completely within weeks, killing flower production for the season.

How to get rid of them

Option 1

Shower the rosette weekly for 3 weeks

Move the pot to the shower or take it outside on a warm day. Spray cool water on the underside of every leaf in the basal rosette for 30 seconds. Gerbera tolerates a hard rinse. Mites can't reattach quickly when blasted off, and the humidity slows survivors. Avoid wetting open blooms because soggy petals invite botrytis. Repeat weekly for 3 weeks.

Option 2

Neem oil at lights-out, every 5 days for 3 rounds

Mix 2 tablespoons cold-pressed neem oil and 1 teaspoon dish soap per gallon of water.

Spray the underside of every leaf in the rosette at lights-out. Skip the flower stalks and open blooms.

Repeat every 5 days for 3 rounds. That covers the egg-to-adult cycle of the mite.

Option 3

Move the pot out of dry heat

Spider mites breed fastest in temperatures above 80F with humidity below 40%. Move indoor potted gerberas off sunny windowsills during summer afternoons and away from heating vents. A single move to a cooler shadier spot often breaks an outbreak without any spray.

Aphids

Damage

Medium

Removal

Easy

What it looks like

Tiny pear-shaped insects 1 to 3 mm long, in green, black, or pink shades. Cluster densely on the tall single flower stalks rising from the rosette and on new leaves emerging from the basal crown. Spring growth flushes are peak aphid season.

What the damage looks like

Visible clusters running up flower stalks and along the soft new leaves of the rosette. Buds may open distorted or fail to open. A sticky shiny film coats the stalk and lower leaves, with black sooty mold growing on the residue. Aphids also vector cucumber mosaic virus, which permanently disfigures the bloom.

How to get rid of them

Option 1

Strong water blast every 2 to 3 days for 2 weeks

Hold a hose nozzle 12 inches from the affected flower stalk and spray at high pressure. Most aphids dislodge and don't make it back. The single stalks of gerbera are sturdy and tolerate the blast well. Repeat every 2 to 3 days for 2 weeks. Cheapest, fastest fix and works without chemicals.

Option 2

Insecticidal soap on stalks and rosette, every 4 days for 2 weeks

Spray ready-to-use insecticidal soap (Safer Brand, ~$10) along the flower stalks and across the basal leaf rosette at dusk. Avoid open blooms. Repeat every 4 days for 2 weeks. The soap kills on contact only, so consistency clears the colony as eggs hatch.

Option 3

Plant alyssum or yarrow nearby outdoors

For outdoor gerberas, plant alyssum, dill, or yarrow within 3 feet of the bed. These attract ladybugs and lacewings that feed on aphids. A planted strip keeps aphid pressure low without sprays and lasts season after season.

Stay ahead of all of them

Four habits that keep gerbera daisy pests rare and protect the bloom that's the whole reason to grow this plant.

Deadhead spent blooms the moment they fade

Faded daisy blooms are where thrips lay eggs and the next generation emerges. Cutting each spent flower at the base of its single stalk removes the egg-laying site and breaks the cycle. This one habit cuts thrips pressure on gerbera by more than half.

Water at the base of the rosette, never overhead

Wet petals and wet fuzzy leaves invite powdery mildew and botrytis. Wet leaves also help whiteflies and aphids spread sticky residue across the plant. Pour water directly onto the soil at the rosette base and keep the leaves dry.

Inspect leaf undersides every Sunday

Whiteflies and spider mites both live almost exclusively under the leaves of the basal rosette. A 30-second weekly underleaf check catches both colonies the week they start, while you can still clear them with a single spray.

Space pots and plants for airflow

Crowded gerberas trap humidity around the rosette and create a haven for mites and fungal disease. Leave at least 12 inches between pots indoors and 18 inches between plants outdoors. Better airflow keeps mite populations in check and dries the foliage faster after watering.

Stay on top of plant care

Get seasonal reminders for watering and fertilizing, personalized for your plants.

Try Greg Free

About This Article

Kiersten Rankel M.S.

Botanical Data Lead at Greg · Plant Scientist

About the Author

Kiersten Rankel holds an M.S. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Tulane University. A certified Louisiana Master Naturalist, she has over a decade of experience in science communication, with research spanning corals, cypress trees, marsh grasses, and more. At Greg, she curates species data and verifies care recommendations against botanical research.

See Kiersten Rankel's full background on LinkedIn.

Editorial Process

Pest identification and treatment guidance verified against Gerbera jamesonii field reports from Greg's botanical database, cross-referenced with university extension sources and published horticultural research.

3,118+ Greg users growing this plant

USDA hardiness zones 8a–11b

Citations:
NC State Extension
Thrips photo: Ryan Hodnett (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Spider mite photo: Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US)
Aphid photo: Scot Nelson (CC0)
Whitefly photo: Wee Hong (CC BY-SA 4.0)