Question
Hi there.
I bought this plant from a Walmart store, later in the summer of 2010. Ever since it has been browning and the leaves have been falling off. I have found some bugs in it but can't find the type of bug that it is. The closest is a mealybug but these are white and long. They curl up in a ball when you touch them. I'm not sure how to get rid of them and I think that is what is hurting my plant.

Answer
Jessica,

It sounds like a pill bug but I do not think the bug is the problem. Your Dracaena Pleomele Reflexa Anita Plant hates flouride and I suspect that you live in a city with water that has flouride. I suspect that is part of your problem. All dracaena plants hate flouride and get brown or black spots on there leaves from the flouride that almost looks like burn spots. Switch to distilled water that you can pick up at the grocery store or Walmart fairly inexpensively. Also in the shorter days of winter they do not use as much water and they absolutely must dry out between waterings so the roots can breathe for a coupple of days. They are not swamp plants and cannot be constantly wet. Wet roots start rotting and rotting roots attract insects like the bugs you are seeing. In fact an hour after you water your plant you need to empty the drain tray under the plant. If you can't lift it to empty it use a turkey baster to suction out the excess water. That will prevent deadly over watering. During the winter when it has been cloudy for a week I sometimes only water every 2 or 3 weeks here in north east Indiana. It needs to be dry for 3-4 days befor being watered again. Also dracaenas do not lik a lot of sun so you may want to move it a bit to the side of that east window. Add Some rubbing alcohol to the water next time you water and it will kill the insects but they are not causing the damage and thy will disappear when the plant is kept dryer and the root rot goes away. Good luck.

Darlene