Hello all

My Dracaena plant is in trouble. I purchased the plant about 3 months ago and up untill about 2 weeks ago the plant had been thriving near my fireplace, where it had the warmth of my floor lamp. But i was unable to keep it there because my cat would try to eat it. I tried everything to keep her from biting the plant and sticking her face in it but she would not relent. Sooo i had to move the plant to a corner of my front entry way. Where every morning i would open my blinds to let it get some sun. It is drafty over near my door but i thought the ample sunlight would help, but within the past 2 weeks i have seen these tiny insects crawling on the plant. They are white and i think they are tiny tiny spiders. I can see there little webs. They are manly on the leaves...so with these little spiders (i think) my plant has started to die.. I am having to pull off more and more dead leaves every day. I don't want my plant to die please help Thank You to all who send advice. Rosie

http://www.dracaena.com/VarietyDetails.asp?PLANT_ID=25

http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1504.htm

http://www.cas.psu.edu/docs/CASDEPT/PLANT/ext/dracaena.html

Ck the sites above. You may have mealy bugs or mites. Spiders will not harm your plants. Do not use any of the poisonous sprays that the sites suggest! Use natural stuff that you can find on this web site and these discussion forums. Neem oil, which you can find most anywhere, should take care of the bugs for now. You need to find out where they are coming from & why. As far as your cat, use a hot pepper spray (instructions on the Dirt Doctor's web site) on the plant & lava sand on the soil in the pot.