mealybugs on Graptoveria
Quick answer
If your Graptoveria has mealybugs, the most likely cause is: Mealybugs are soft-bodied sap suckers that settle into the tight leaf axils where Graptoveria rosette leaves join the stem, hiding under a fluffy white wax coat while they reproduce and weakening the plant until its color fades, growth stalls, or an ant colony appears to farm the honeydew they secrete.
Start here:
- 1. Spray the rosette's leaf axils and inner crevices with 70 percent isopropyl alcohol from a pinpoint spray bottle and repeat until no live bugs remain
- 2. Isolate the infested Graptoveria from neighboring succulents and bag or discard any rosettes too damaged to save
Why Graptoveria gets mealybugs
Graptoveria
Mealybugs are soft-bodied sap suckers that settle into the tight leaf axils where Graptoveria rosette leaves join the stem, hiding under a fluffy white wax coat while they reproduce and weakening the plant until its color fades, growth stalls, or an ant colony appears to farm the honeydew they secrete.
How to reverse mealybugs on Graptoveria
- 1
Spray the rosette's leaf axils and inner crevices with 70 percent isopropyl alcohol from a pinpoint spray bottle and repeat until no live bugs remain
- 2
Isolate the infested Graptoveria from neighboring succulents and bag or discard any rosettes too damaged to save
- 3
Repot in fresh mix and clean the container thoroughly to remove ants, eggs, and any wax-coated insects hiding in the soil
Keep mealybugs off this Graptoveria
Maintain good air circulation around the rosette, peel away dried lower leaves that can shelter mealybugs, and keep ants away from outdoor pots so they cannot introduce the pests into the collection.