Common Succulent Pests

• Mealybugs: Look for white, cottony, fuzzy masses in leaf axils and along stems. They suck sap and excrete a sticky “honeydew” that attracts ants.
  • Solution: Dip a cotton swab in 70% isopropyl alcohol and dab them directly, or spray the whole plant with a mixture of water and a few drops of dish soap.
• Spider Mites: Tiny and hard to see. They cause fine, white webbing between leaves and leave pale, stippled dots on the foliage.
  • Solution: Increase humidity and wash the plant with a strong stream of water, then treat with Neem Oil or insecticidal soap.
• Scale: Present as hard, stationary, waxy brown bumps that cling tightly to stems and leaves.
  • Solution: Scrape them off manually with a fingernail or toothbrush and wipe the stems with rubbing alcohol.
• Root Mealybugs: These feed on the roots underground, stunting plant growth for no apparent reason.
  • Solution: Repot the plant completely in fresh, well-draining soil and wash the root system.