How to Get Rid of Slaters on Artillery Plants: A Comprehensive Guide

Habitat: Artillery weed occurs primarily in moist, disturbed areas but can tolerate dry conditions once established. In landscapes, artillery weed is typically found growing in rock mulch beds, in cracks in driveways and hardscapes, and in planting beds. In nurseries, it can be problematic in containers, container drain holes, ground cloth (Figure 1), walkways, aisles, and in greenhouses. It prefers a partially shaded environment but can grow in full sun.

Distribution: Artillery weed is thought to be native to South America, but some authors claim it is native to parts of North America (USDA 2016). It is found throughout Florida, but is most problematic in the central and southern parts of the state. It has also become widely naturalized in subtropical and tropical areas in many parts of the world.

Growth Habit: It is a low-growing succulent herb that can spread 1 to 2 feet in width and grows 0.5 to 1.5 feet in height.

Seedling: Cotyledons are green with opposite, obcordate (they start at a point and then widen until they form a notch at the apex) leaves with smooth margins (Figure 2). First true leaves are green. Stems are whitish in color.

Shoots: Stems are fragile, green, nearly translucent, succulent, and spreading (Figure 3). Plants have opposite to subopposite simple, obovate leaves with short petioles and with most but not all leaves having three primary veins originating from the leaf base. Leaves are evergreen and are 3.64–1.13 mm wide and 8.25–1.14 mm long.

Inflorescence: dense cyme (a group of flowers where the growing points end in a flower), branched clusters from leaf axils

Flowers: small, whitish to greenish, unisexual; sepals 4 mm in male flowers, 3 mm in female; no petals; 4 stamens; year round flowering occurs (Figure 4).

Similar Species: Pilea pumila (Canadian clearweed) is a similar species to Pilea microphylla. The distinguishing character of Pilea pumila is that it has broad, ovate to elliptic leaves, that grow to 4 in. long and 2.5 in. wide, and leaf margins are toothed (serrated). Artillery weed has small smooth-edged leaves, usually less than 8.25 mm long and 3.64 mm wide.

Plant Biology: Year-round flowering occurs, and the pollen grains are ejected forcefully (hence the common name artillery weed). Artillery weed grows primarily in shaded areas and can tolerate extended flooding, alkalinity, clay, sand, and acidic loam (Gilman 1999). This plant shows moderate drought tolerance and poor tolerance in soils with high salinity (Gilman 1999).

Artillery plants, also known as Pilea microphylla, are a popular houseplant loved for their unique appearance and easy care. However, artillery plant owners may sometimes struggle with slater infestations. Slaters, also called woodlice or pillbugs, are small crustaceans that can damage plants by feeding on leaves and roots.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explain what slaters are, signs of infestations, and effective methods to get rid of slaters on artillery plants. My goal is to provide artillery plant owners with the knowledge and techniques to protect their plants from slater damage.

What Are Slaters?

Slaters are oval-shaped creatures about 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch long with segmented, rigid exoskeletons They are classified as terrestrial isopods and are distantly related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimp There are over 5,000 species of slaters worldwide.

These creatures thrive in damp, dark environments and are primarily nocturnal During the day, they tend to hide under rocks, leaves, compost, and garden debris At night, they emerge to feed on decaying plant material.

While slaters play an important role in breaking down organic matter, they can become problematic pests for indoor plants like artillery plants. Excessive moisture and abundance of food sources encourage slater populations to grow Large numbers of slaters may turn to feeding on living plants, causing noticeable damage.

Signs of a Slater Infestation on Artillery Plants

Identifying the signs of a slater infestation early allows quicker treatment to protect artillery plants. Look for these common indicators:

Irregular holes or jagged edges on leaves caused by slater feeding. They don’t produce clean-cut holes like caterpillars.
Presence of slaters crawling on the soil or base of the plant. They are small and fast moving so look carefully.
Wilting, yellowing, or dying leaves pointing to slater damage to the roots.
Frass or slight white trails indicating slater activity on the plant.
Deformed growing tips or stunted new growth.

Thoroughly checking undersides of leaves and the soil surrounding your plant can reveal slaters hiding on your artillery plant. Act quickly once an infestation is detected.

8 Methods to Effectively Get Rid of Slaters

If you spot signs of slaters, implement control measures promptly to protect your artillery plant. Here are 8 effective methods:

1. Improve Soil Drainage

Slaters thrive in perpetually moist environments. Improving drainage prevents the artillery plant’s soil from getting waterlogged. Ensure pots have adequate drainage holes. Add pebbles or gravel at the base to elevate the soil surface. Avoid overwatering and let the top inch of soil dry out between waterings.

2. Remove Debris

Eliminate potential slater shelters and food sources around plants. Remove fallen leaves, dead plants, weed piles, heavy mulch, and other decaying organic matter slaters are attracted to. This reduces hiding spots and forces them to relocate.

3. Use Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth creates a deadly barrier for slaters. Sprinkle this chalky powder composed of fossilized algae around the artillery plant’s base. The sharp particles abrade slaters’ exoskeletons causing fatal dehydration when they cross over. Reapply after watering.

4. Apply Neem Oil

Neem oil is an effective organic pesticide against slaters. It disrupts their hormonal balance and deterrs feeding. Dilute neem oil according to package directions and spray leaves to repel slaters. Target the undersides of leaves and base of the plant.

5. Set Beer Traps

Slaters are drawn to the yeasty smell of beer. Bury small containers filled with beer near infected plants. Attracted slaters will crawl in and drown. Keep the beer level low enough so beneficial insects don’t fall in.

6. Introduce Predators

Natural predators like centipedes, ground beetles, frogs, and lizards will prey on slaters. Creating a balanced environment allows these species to naturally regulate slater populations. Avoid pesticides that kill beneficials along with pests.

7. Use Insecticide Sprays

For severe infestations, specialized insecticides containing ingredients like pyrethrin effectively kill slaters. Strictly follow label application guidelines to protect yourself and your artillery plant. Avoid overuse of chemical pesticides which can harm the plant and environment.

8. Maintain Proper Growing Conditions

Vigorous, healthy artillery plants are more resistant to pest problems. Provide proper light, humidity, temperatures, water, and nutrition to prevent plant stress. Stressed plants are more vulnerable to slaters and other pests.

Prevent Future Infestations

Getting rid of existing slaters is only half the battle. Implement these tips to avoid repeated slater invasions:

Check plants frequently for early signs of pests before they multiply.
Provide good airflow around plants to prevent damp, stagnant conditions attractive to slaters.
Avoid over-fertilizing which can cause excessive succulent growth appealing to pests.
Quarantine new plants before introducing to check for hitchhiking pests.
Control weeds and clear away debris outside to limit slater habitat near your home.

Diligent monitoring and preventive care will help keep artillery plants slater-free for the long term. Be vigilant at the first sign of infestation and take prompt action. Combining cultural, physical, biological and chemical controls as needed can eliminate slaters and prevent considerable damage to your prized artillery plant.

how to get rid of slaters on artillery plant

Cultural and Physical Control

Cultural control involves proper sanitation practices, such as using weed-free growing media and clean pots. Inspect plant material for artillery weed seedlings when bringing in new plant material into the nursery or landscape. In landscapes, remove artillery weed seedlings from potted plants before transplanting to prevent future infestations.

Hand weeding effectively controls artillery weed in small areas. Because small seedlings are not easily removed by hand and artillery weed can regrow from roots or stem fragments, hand weeding must be thorough. Large and densely infested areas may be too labor intensive for such thorough hand weeding. Applying organic mulch (pinestraw, pinebark, etc.) at a depth of at least 2 inches has been shown to provide control in research trials.

Most of the common preemergence herbicides provide excellent control of artillery weed. Oxyfluorfen has been shown to provide good control (Freitas et al. 2004, Freitas et al. 2007a, Freitas et al. 2007b). Research trials at UF/IFAS have shown the following preemergents to provide excellent control: oxadiazon (Ronstar® G), dimethanamid-p (Tower®), indaziflam (Marengo® or Specticle®), pendimethalin + dimethanamid-p (FreeHand®), oxyfluorfen + pendimethalin (OH2®), oxyfluorfen + prodiamine (Biathlon®), prodiamine (Barricade®), pendimethalin (Pendulum®), s-metolachlor (Pennant Magnum®), isoxaben (Gallery®), and prodiamine + isoxaben (Gemini™). Table 1 lists preemergence herbicides labeled for use in ornamental plant production and landscapes and that can be used for the control of artillery weed.

Tank-mixing a preemergence herbicide in with a postemergence herbicide can improve control of artillery weed, which is a prolific seed producer. Herbicides, including oxadiazon (Ronstar® FLO) (Conover and Stamps 1994), flumioxazin (SureGuard®), and glufosinate (Finale®), have provided excellent postemergence control in research trials. Oxadiazon and flumioxazin are both primarily used as preemergence herbicides but do provide some early postemergence control. In greenhouse trials, these two herbicides have provided greater than 95% control of mature artillery weed. Contact herbicides, including pelargonic acid (Scythe®) and diquat (Reward®), can provide temporary control, but re-treatment is typically needed. Glyphosate (RoundUp® and many others), sulfosulfuron (Certainty®), and sulfentrazone (Dismiss®) typically only provide suppression or poor control. If artillery weed is growing in large containers, directed applications can be made using a contact action herbicide such as pelargonic acid or diquat but care must be taken to ensure ornamental foliage is not contacted. If the ornamental growth habit does not allow for directed applications to be made, granular formulations of oxadiazon (Ronstar® G) and liquid formulations of dimethenamid-p (Tower®) can provide some suppression of small artillery weed and are labeled for over-the-top use in many crops. A list of postemergence herbicides, including their labeled sites, are included in Table 2.

Conover, C. A., and R.H. Stamps. 1994. Controlling artillery plant (Pilea microphylla) with herbicides. University of Florida Research Report RH-94-7. http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/foliage/resrpts/rh_94_7.htm

Freitas, F. C. L,. et al. 2004. “Chemical weed control in bromeliários.” Congresso Brasileiro Da Ciência Das Plantas Daninhas São Pedro 24 CD-ROM.

Freitas, F. C. L., J.A.S Grossi, A.F. Barros, E.R. Mesquita, F.A. Ferreira, and J.G. Barbosa. 2007a. “Chemical control of Pilea microphylla in Orchid cultivation.” Planta Daninha 25(3): 589–593.

Freitas, F. C. L., J.A.S Grpsso, A.F. Barros, E.R. Mesquita, and F.A. Ferreira. 2007b. “Weed control in ornamental plant seedling production.” Planta Daninha 25(3) 595–601.

Gilman, E. F. 1999. Pilea microphylla Artillery Plant. FPS479. Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp479

Mallory-Smith, Carol A. and E. James Retzinger, Jr. 2003. “Revised Classification of Herbicides by Site of Action for Weed Resistance Management Strategies.” Weed Technology 17(3): 605–19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3989198

USDA Plants Database. 2016. Pilea microphylla (L.) Liebm. http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=PIMI2 Table 1.

Preemergence herbicides labeled for use in ornamental plant production and landscapes and their efficacy for control of artillery weed.

Common Name (active ingredient)	Example trade name and formulation	Labeled Use Rate (Product/Acre)	WSSA Herbicide Group1	Efficacy2	Container production	Field production	Greenhouse or fully-enclosed structures	Landscape
dithiopyr	Dimension® 2EW	1 to 2 pt.	3	G	YES	YES	NO	YES
pendimethalin	Pendulum® 2G	100 to 200 lb.	3	G	YES	YES	NO	YES
pendimethalin	Pendulum® 3.3EC	2.4 to 4.8 qt.	3	G	YES	YES	NO	YES
prodiamine	RegalKade 0.5G	132 to 300 lb.	3	G	YES	YES	NO	YES
prodiamine	Barricade® 4FL	21 to 48 fl. oz.	3	G	YES	YES	NO	YES
flumioxazin	Broadstar™ 0.25G	150 lb.	14	G	YES	YES	NO	YES
flumioxazin	SureGuard® 51WDG	8 to 12 oz.	14	G	YES3	YES3	NO	YES4
oxadiazon	Ronstar® 2G	14	G	YES	YES	NO	YES
dimethenamid-p	Tower® 6EC	21 to 32 fl. oz.	15	G	YES	YES	NO	YES
s-metolachlor	Pennant Magnum® 7.6 EC	1.3 to 2.6 pt.	15	S-G	YES	YES	NO	YES
isoxaben	Gallery® 75DF	0.66 to 1.33 lb.	21	G	YES	YES	NO	YES
isoxaben	Gallery® 4.16SC	16 to 31 fl. oz.	21	G	YES	YES	NO	YES
indaziflam	Marengo® 0.622 SC	7.5 to 15.5 fl.oz.	29	G	NO5	YES	YES6	NO7
indaziflam	Marengo® 0.0224G	100 to 200 lb.	29	G	YES	YES	NO	NO7
pendimethalin+dimethenamid-p	FreeHand® 1.75G	100 to 200 lb.	3 + 15	G	YES	YES	NO	YES
1 Herbicide groups are based according to primary sites of action and can be used to select herbicides that have differing sites of action (Weed Technology 17:605-619 [2003]). 2 P = poor control; S = suppression, G = good control. 3 Can only be used in selected conifer and deciduous tree species. Check manufacturers label for a complete list of species and recommended application methods. 4 Can be applied as a directed application around established woody landscape ornamentals. 5 Marengo® 0.622 SC can be used in pot-in-pot container ornamentals as a directed application only. 6 Labeled for use on greenhouse floors only. 7 Indiziflam is also available by the trade name Specticle which can be applied to turf and landscape sites.

Postemergence herbicides labeled for use in and around ornamentals for control of artillery weed1.

Active Ingredient	Example trade name	Labeled Use Rates (product/Acre)	WSSA Herbicide Group	Container production2	Field production	Greenhouse or fully-enclosed structures	Landscape	Notes:
Diquat	Reward®	1 to 2 qt.	22	YES	YES	YES	YES	Thorough coverage and repeated applications may be needed.
Flumioxazin	SureGuard®	8 to 12 oz.	14	YES3	YES3	NO	YES3	Higher rate provides better postemergence control. Primarily used as a preemergence herbicide.
Glufosinate	Finale®	2 to 6 qt.	10	YES	YES	YES	YES	Thorough coverage is needed.
Oxadiazon	Ronstar® FLO	80 to 122 fl. oz.	14	YES4	YES4	NO	YES	Thorough coverage is needed. Primarily used as a preemergence herbicide.
1 Postemergence control is highly dependant upon the growth stage at the time of application. Many factors can impact herbicide performance. Repeat applications and use of preemergence herbicides may be needed for complete control. 2 Herbicide groups are based according to primary sites of action and can be used to select herbicides that have differing sites of action (Mallory-Smith and Retzinger 2003). 3 Labeled for use as a directed application or over-the-top only to certain trees and conifers. Consult product label for details. 4 Labeled for use as a directed application or over-the-top only to certain conifers and a small list of other crops. Consult product label for details.

Release Date:December 20, 2019

Reviewed At:December 5, 2022

DOI: 10.32473/edis-ep535-2016
Critical Issue: 1. Agricultural and Horticultural Enterprises

how to get rid of slaters on artillery plant

This document is ENH1272, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date December 2016. Revised November 2019. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.

Debalina Saha, former graduate research assistant, Environmental Horticulture Department, Mid-Florida Research and Education Center; Chris Marble, assistant professor, Environmental Horticulture Department, Mid-Florida REC; Shawn Steed, environmental horticulture production Extension agent, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County; and Nathan Boyd, associate professor, Department of Horticulture, Gulf Coast REC; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.

How To Treat A Tree That’s Infested With Borers And Slaters

How do you care for an artillery plant?

The Artillery Plant is generally easy to care for, but like all plants, it can encounter pests, diseases, and common problems. Spider Mites: These tiny pests can be identified by the fine webs they weave on the plant. They cause yellowing or speckled leaves. Increase humidity around the plant and wash it with a strong stream of water.

Is artillery a nettle?

It belongs to the nettle family (Urticaceae) and is part of a diverse genus with over 600 species. Plant Type and Habit: The Artillery Plant is an evergreen perennial plant with a creeping habit.

Does artillery fungus kill plants?

It forcefully ejects its mature spores high up in the air, leaving pesky stains. The good news is that while artillery fungus is a nuisance because it is unsightly, it is not harmful to humans or pets, it does not kill garden plants, nor does it cause any structural damage to the surfaces it lands on.

How do I get rid of artillery fungus?

Your best shot at effectively suppressing the artillery fungus is learning the primary cause. Most often, the fungus can be traced in fallen tree branches that are decaying or wood mulch. Animal droppings could also lead to the spread of artillery fungus.

What Are Slaters?

Signs of a Slater Infestation on Artillery Plants