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Succulent cuss controlcatches many by surprisal .

mostly speaking , cactus and the many types of succulent industrial plant receive few pest problems and are very trouble - free household plants .

mealy bugs on succulents

Photo Credit: Instagram @succulentodemary

For the most part , fungal infection and other problems start with tearing succulents improperly ( overwatering ) and/or deficient sunlight .

Both of these misapprehension in succulent care make plants more susceptible to fungous diseases and bacterial infections .

damage succulent plant compromise by condition are also more susceptible to pests such as :

Close-up of a succulent with ants

Controlling these small , diminutive common pests can be surd .

These insect plague assail new growth , conceal on the underside of foliage and at plant articulation where you may not see them until they ’ve already done quite a bit of damage .

Furthermore , many of these pests have hard , protective natural covering preventing insecticides from being in force .

scale insect pest feeding on leaves

Succulent Pest Control – How To Know If Your Succulents Are Infested?

If your succulent garden is affected by scale or mealybugs , you may mark a pasty substance ( honeydew ) or a pitch-black moldy appearing on or around the infected industrial plant .

If you see this , examine the plant very closely and you ’re sure to find tiny insects lallygag in its sheepcote .

If you miss these tell - tale signs , your first denotation may be shriveled , rumple leaf . If plants see life-threatening cuss plague , the plant may die .

mealybug feeding on underside of leaves

What Do These Pests Look Like?

Scale gadfly have a soft cottony appearing or intemperate dome - shaped shroud shell . Scale dirt ball tie themselvesto industrial plant stems and suck out the flora ’s juices and sap .

If there are only a few , you could grate them off with a tongue blade or thumbnail .

Mealybugs are also petite and seldom maturate to be larger than 1/3″ of an inch long . These bugs have a cottony , white appearance and a protective waxy coating .

pesky fungus gnats

Mealybugs move about very slowly , and you will often find them clustered together on the spine or the veins of plant leaves .

They are good at concealment , so be sure to learn the undersides of leaf and any crevices where they might blot out .

Root mealybug be at the territory control surface of your plant . They congregate together on works roots to salute the appearance of an inert , white mass .

spider mites on bird of paradise leaf

You may mistake them for fungous ontogeny .

Root mealybug weaken plants ’ by sucking out its juices . They also make it more likely that your plant will sign a fungal or bacterial infection .

Fungus gnats are quite lilliputian and look a bit like mosquito . You may notice them hovering around the base of your works near the soil .

Pests on plant stem with dewdrops.

The flies wo n’t anguish your plants , but their larvae exist in the potting mix and feed plant ancestor and constitutional topic .

A tumid launch plant life is not usually rile by this , but very young plants may be killed or at least stunted .

Spider hint are midget chocolate-brown place or dots as small as a texture of pepper . One of the proficient fashion to mold their presence is to beg an septic plant folio over a sheet of composition .

Succulent with pink flowers in bloom

If wanderer mite are present , they will fall on the newspaper publisher like bits of dust . Bits of white webs on plants also argue a wanderer mite attack .

For more info contain out our in - depth articles on the life cycles of :

How To Get Rid Of Insect Pests For Pest-Free Healthy Plants

The best fashion to get by with any kind of plant pestilence is to establish a comprehensive incorporate gadfly direction ( IPM ) programme . Here ’s how :

Know Your Plants Needs

Learn about your plants ’ needs , and provide for them appropriately .

Healthy flora do not hap by stroke .

Keep your plants healthy and rehearse good hygienics by providing :

Close-up of green succulent plant.

Strong healthy works are less likely to pull pest and disease .

Practice Good Grooming and Maintenance

Keep pest by by deadheading flowers and remove dead leaves to prevent attracting pests and fungus .

Repot as require and suss out for root mealybug when you do .

Don’t Let Plants Play With Strangers!

When bringing a new works home , keep it in quarantine for a couple of hebdomad and keep a close eye on it .

At the first sign of any pests , address them at once or as a last resort toss the plant ( but not in the compost pile ) and get a sound one .

Use The Simplest Solution First

When you first notice spider mites ormealybugs on succulentsplant , render wash them off with a strong flow of H2O .

Very often , this will knock them off and you wo n’t have any more trouble .

NOTE : Spraying with water is an selection . We DO NOT recommend putting any supernumerary H2O on succulent plants

Watering can in sudsy water, soaking.

Give Your Plant A Bath

For grave mealybug or spider mite plague , consider bathe your plant .

Remove the industrial plant from its flowerpot and give it a good all over washing .

allow for it to consist out in a well ventilated , ardent surroundings for a couple of Clarence Day and canvas it again before constitute in bracing soil using a newfangled ( or sanitized ) stack .

Succulent plant with mealybug infestation.

Remove Individual Pests

If you just see a few industrial plant scales and mealy bug , assay pop them and removing them using Q - hint or a cotton wool swab douse in itch alcoholic drink to interrupt their life sentence bicycle .

Make Rubbing Alcohol Solution Pest Control Spray

To make a dilute alcohol pesterer spray solution mix

site in a sprayer feeding bottle to spray over the intact flora to kill wanderer mite and mealy bug .

Take care when spray alcohol solution . succulent and cacti may be sensitive to scratch alcohol that can damage and interfere with the waxy coating on plants ’ outside .

Bottle of isopropyl alcohol on a table.

Use A Trap To Control Fungus Gnats

Make apple cyder vinegar ( ACV ) traps draw a blank rid of adult fungus gnat .

pour out about an in of ACV into the bottom of a jolt . Put the eyelid on and poke some holes in the hat big enough for the gnat to enter .

Use empty spiciness jars for this purpose . This is very handy because the chapeau already have small-scale muddle .

Succulent plant on textured blue wood

Gnats are attracted to apple cider vinegar . They ’ll go in to get it and drown since they wo n’t be able to detect their way out .

You ’ll be astonied by the number of gnats you catch .

Yellow sticky sand trap or tape also forge on enchant fungus gnats .

Red succulent stem with tiny flowers.

Use An Insecticidal Soap

Insecticidal soap can be veryeffective in getting rid of aphid , mealy bug , spider tinge , thrips and a server of other succulent pests .

learn out ourhomemade organic insecticidal soap nebulizer recipe .

A teaspoonful of mild dish soap or dishwashing liquid in a quart of pee apply as a spraying can be very useful .

Neem oil bottle beside pruned plant on wooden surface.

Be careful when using this nebuliser . Like rubbing alcohol , liquid ecstasy may damage the plant ’s epidermis and interfere with the plant ’s raw oil and wax software .

Always test any intersection you plan to spray on a very small and hidden area on your plant before spray it all over the works .

Apply Natural Organic Insecticide Treatments

Insecticides like pyrethroids and natural , constituent insecticide sprays such as neem vegetable oil or horticultural oil may also be effective .

Be certain to read and surveil the directions on the label of any product you choose to verify it ’s safe for use on your succulents .

Systemic Insecticides For Heavy Infestations

In heavy infestations , using a systemic insecticidesuch as acephate or imidacloprid may be necessary .

These systemic pesticide product are used as land drenches that are taken up by the plant and strain the pests through uptake .

Do n’t apply this case of insect powder on any bloom plant accessible to pollinators . These products are particularly dangerous to bee .

Close-up of a succulent plant in a pot.