Prevention comes first
Healthy succulents in bright light and dry, gritty soil don’t get many pests. Most problems arrive on a new plant. A few habits stop them spreading:
- Check before you buy. Look deep into rosettes, under leaves and where leaves meet the stem.
- Quarantine new plants. Keep them away from your other plants for 2–3 weeks, and look them over a few times.
- Look while you water. A quick check every time you water catches pests while there are only a few.
- Don’t overwater. Soil that stays damp invites fungus gnats and weakens roots.
Mealybugs
What you see: small, white, cottony tufts in leaf joints, deep in rosettes, or on the roots when you unpot the plant. Look closely and you’ll see tiny, oval, white insects.
Why they matter: they suck sap and multiply quickly. Leaves can yellow, twist or wither.
What to do:
- Move the plant away from your others.
- Dab every bug you can see with a cotton swab dipped in 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.
- Check the roots too. If you find white fluff there, rinse off the old soil and repot into fresh mix in a clean pot.
- Repeat every few days for several weeks. New bugs keep hatching from eggs you can’t see.
There’s a short version in the plant doctor.
Fungus gnats
What you see: tiny black flies that hover around the soil or walk on its surface.
Why they matter: the adults are a nuisance, not a danger. Their larvae live in damp soil and can nibble young roots and seedlings.
What to do:
- Let the soil dry out completely between waterings. The larvae need moisture to survive.
- Catch adults with yellow sticky traps.
- If they keep coming back, repot into a grittier, less peaty mix. See the soil and pots guide.
Spider mites
What you see: tiny pale speckles on leaves, a dull or dusty look, and sometimes very fine webbing between leaves. The mites themselves are barely visible dots.
Why they matter: they suck sap from leaf surfaces and spread fast in warm, dry air.
What to do:
- Move the plant away from your others.
- Rinse the whole plant with a gentle stream of water, including under the leaves. Let it drain and dry in good airflow.
- Repeat every few days, and check nearby plants.
There’s a short version in the plant doctor.
Scale
What you see: small brown or tan bumps that stick firmly to stems and leaves. They don’t look like insects at first, but they scrape off.
What to do: scrape them off gently with a fingernail or a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Check again every week, because young scale are tiny and easy to miss. See also the plant doctor.
Aphids
What you see: clusters of small green, black or pink insects, usually on new growth and flower stalks.
What to do: rinse them off with water, or cut off the flower stalk if that’s where they are. They rarely come back indoors.
Using sprays safely
If dabbing and rinsing aren’t enough, garden centers sell insecticidal soap. Before you use it:
- Test it on one leaf first and wait a few days. Some succulents get marked by soaps and oils.
- Avoid leaves with farina, the pale, powdery coating on many echeverias. Sprays wipe it off, and it doesn’t grow back on those leaves.
- Spray in the shade, not in direct sun.
- Keep pets away until everything is dry, and follow the label exactly.