root mealybugs on Stapelia
Quick answer
If your Stapelia has root mealybugs, the most likely cause is: Root mealybugs colonize the rootball of Stapelia pulvinata and other stapeliads, surfacing as little new top growth and a scatter of white woolly patches on the roots themselves when the plant is unpotted; the bugs feed unseen beneath the soil while the above-ground stems stagnate, and they spread easily to neighbouring succulents sharing the same pot or watering routine.
Start here:
- 1. Unpot the Stapelia, shake or wash all of the old soil off the roots, and swirl the bare roots in a contact insecticide to kill the root mealybugs hiding in the rootball.
- 2. Allow the roots to dry briefly, then repot into a fresh, well-drained compost in a cleaned pot, holding off watering for about two weeks to let the plant re-establish.
Why Stapelia gets root mealybugs
Stapelia
Root mealybugs colonize the rootball of Stapelia pulvinata and other stapeliads, surfacing as little new top growth and a scatter of white woolly patches on the roots themselves when the plant is unpotted; the bugs feed unseen beneath the soil while the above-ground stems stagnate, and they spread easily to neighbouring succulents sharing the same pot or watering routine.
How to reverse root mealybugs on Stapelia
- 1
Unpot the Stapelia, shake or wash all of the old soil off the roots, and swirl the bare roots in a contact insecticide to kill the root mealybugs hiding in the rootball.
- 2
Allow the roots to dry briefly, then repot into a fresh, well-drained compost in a cleaned pot, holding off watering for about two weeks to let the plant re-establish.
Keep root mealybugs off this Stapelia
Use a fresh, sterile gritty compost at every annual repot, scrub the pot before reuse, and quarantine any new stapeliad for at least a few weeks before placing it next to healthy plants.