• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sublime Succulents
  • Welcome to Sublime Succulents
  • Care Guides
    • Watering
      • How to Water Succulents and Cacti: The Ultimate Guide
      • Is My Succulent Over or Under Watered: Knowing the Difference
      • How Long Can Succulents Go Without Water?
    • Light
      • Light and Sun for Succulents and Cacti: The Ultimate Guide
      • Grow Lights for Succulents – Best Indoor & Outdoor Use Guide
      • How to Grow Colorful Succulents
    • Soil
      • Soil for Succulents and Cacti: Ultimate Guide
      • Succulent Soil vs Gritty Mix: Which is Better?
      • 7 Best Succulent and Cactus Soils
      • Should I put gravel in the bottom of a pot?
    • Propagation
      • Succulent Propagation: The Ultimate Guide
      • How Often to Water Propagated Succulents to Encourage Growth
      • Water Propagation for Succulents – How to Avoid Root Rot Guide
    • Fertilizer
      • How and When to Fertilize Succulents
      • Best Liquid Fertilizer in 2022 (Our Reviews & Comparisons)
      • How Often Should I Give My Plant Nutrients?
    • Pots and Planters
      • How to Care for Succulents in Pots without Drainage Holes
      • Best Pots For Succulents in 2022 (Our Reviews & Comparisons)
      • Should Succulents Be Planted in the Ground or in Pots?
    • Beginners: Start Here
      • 7 Best Places to Buy Succulents Online 2022
      • Succulent Starter Pack
      • How to Identify Root Rot and Treat It
  • Shop Succulents
    • Accessories
    • Pots and Planters
    • Soil and Fertilizer
    • Books
    • Plants
    • Grow Lights
  • Succulent Types
    • Easy Beginner Succulents
    • Indoor Succulents
    • Succulents by Color
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Care
  • Beginners
  • Reviews
  • Sorting
  • Types
  • Beginner Buys
search icon
Homepage link
  • Care
  • Beginners
  • Reviews
  • Sorting
  • Types
  • Beginner Buys
×

How to Deal With Common Succulent Pests

Modified: Jun 14, 2022 by Patrick Green · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Woman holding a notepad and touching a succulent in a pot.

Mealybugs, scale, fungus gnats, and spider mites are pests that many succulent owners will struggle with at some point or another. Fortunately, they're not too difficult to deal with. 

Jump to:
  • Preventative Measures
  • Plant Hygiene
  • Quarantine
  • Pest Treatment
  • Mealybugs
  • Scale
  • Fungus Gnats
  • Spider Mites

Preventative Measures

They say the best offense is a good defense, and we can apply that to fat plants as well! It is much preferable to avoid disease than to attempt treatment. Here are a couple of tips for keeping your plants healthy!

Plant Hygiene

Hand touching fresh soil in a pot with succulent.

This is your first line of defense against all manner of diseases and pests. An integral part of preventing illness is to keep your plant and its pot clean. What does clean mean?

Mountain crest garden's free mistery succulent with each order banner
  • remove dead leaves and flowers
  • don't allow water to sit and stagnate
  • remove foreign growth (stray seedings and such)
  • ensure loose, aerated soil

When conditions around your plant or in a pot are poor, it invites fungi, bacteria, and animal pests. It also reduces the plant's ability to defend itself, making it even more vulnerable. A good time to check your plants for general health and cleanliness is immediately before watering.

Read Also: How to Get Rid of White Mites

Quarantine

Upon acquiring new plants, my first impulse is to introduce them to their new family. However, those new plants could be hiding pests and fungi, so be sure to quarantine new plants for at least two weeks. Place them in a different area of your home, or hold off on planting them in your garden, so that you don't accidentally expose your established plants to disease. Succulents that come from home improvement stores like Lowes or Home Depot are especially notorious for introducing disease because they are not cared for adequately. A couple of weeks is usually long enough for any latent pests to become apparent, which will allow you to treat them before they spread to the rest of your plants.

See also
Lithops (Living Stones) Care Guide: Everything You Need to Know

Read Related Reading: How and when to fertilize succulents

Pest Treatment

When all else fails and you find an infestation on your hands, you need to take immediate action to prevent further spreading and damage to your succulents!

A note: While a valid method of control, Sublime Succulents do not endorse the use of pesticides. Pesticides are not only bad for the bugs - they damage the environment and can even harm your plants. Please consider these other methods of control (which are often much cheaper).

Bestseller No. 1
Mighty Mint - 16oz Insect and Pest Control Peppermint Oil - Natural Spray for Spiders, Ants, and More
Mighty Mint - 16oz Insect and Pest Control Peppermint Oil - Natural Spray for Spiders, Ants, and More
  • Safe
  • Extra Concentrated for Long-Lasting Protection
  • Natural Ingredients Proven Effective in the Real World
Check Price on Amazon
Bestseller No. 2
Mighty Mint 32oz Plant Protection Peppermint Spray for Spider Mites, Insects, Fungus, and Disease
Mighty Mint 32oz Plant Protection Peppermint Spray for Spider Mites, Insects, Fungus, and Disease
  • Complete Protection - Kills Spider Mites, Insects, and Fungal Disease
  • Safe around Plants, People, and Pets
  • Effective Premium Ingredients - Based in Nature
Check Price on Amazon

Likewise, several biological control methods exist - namely, introducing predators to kill the pests. Sublime Succulents also asks that you refrain from this method due to the risk of spreading non-native species outside of your garden and greenhouse. It's also rather ineffective on a small scale; it wouldn't work very well anywhere other than a greenhouse.

Read Also:

  • How to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats
  • Saving Succulents from Snails and Slugs
  • How to Treat Spider Mites on Succulents and Cacti

Mealybugs

Mealybugs close-up.

One of the most common types of pests, a multitude of species of mealybug likes to prey on succulents. They are quite small, only a couple of millimeters long. Unfortunately, it means that they are difficult to detect until there exists a sizable population. Their color varies from white to gray to brown and they have a wispy, cottony appearance. Some species deposit honeydew on your plant - a sticky sweet substance that is often consumed by ants. If you notice little clear droplets of a sticky substance or an abundance of ants, you probably have a mealybug infestation. Ants, while not inherently harmful, will also swarm your plants in an effort to eat the honeydew produced by these bugs.

See also
Succulent Starter Pack

Fortunately, it's not too difficult to remove mealybugs. A dilute solution (about 1:3) of methylated spirits or rubbing alcohol will be sufficient to kill them. Apply topically via a Q-tip or spray it on to your plant if the infestation warrants it. Be warned: alcohol isn't good for your plant, so try to use it sparingly. After several treatments, uproot your plant and clean it under a powerful jet of water. This washes off any remaining mealybugs (or their corpses), and gives you a chance to repot. Mealybugs sometimes lay their eggs in the soil, so you need to ensure you have clean, fresh soil to replant with.

Scale

Scale pest on a leaf close-up.

This plant pest is very easy to identify once you know what to look for. They are small, a centimeter or less, brown, or gray "scales" that appear on the stem and leaves of your plant. The scale is flat or slightly raised and ovular in shape. It has a waxy sheen that distinguishes it from stems. Once removed, they tend to leave a scar on your poor succulent.

If they are few in number, feel free to scrape them off with a fingernail or tweezers. Rubbing alcohol will usually kill them too, but it may need to be more potent than the solution you used for mealybugs. If that doesn't work, you might have to remove the branch or even the entire plant. Sacrifices must be made to protect the rest of your plants.

Fungus Gnats

Fungus gnat on a buld close-up.

These have several names, such as sciarid fly and soil midge, but they're quite apparent. Somewhat fat and rather slow, they are much like fruit flies except they hang out in your plants! The adult flies don't harm the plants, but their larva can eat the roots. Not to mention - they're quite unsightly. They're easy to find when interacting with your plants as they will rise from the soil and fly away if disturbed.

See also
Mushrooms growing with my succulents - Is that bad?

As they don't do much harm to succulents, exterminating these pests isn't urgent. Making an effort to kill all of the adults, either by squashing or using flypaper, is generally enough to destroy the population in a couple of weeks. If you need an immediate solution you have to kill all the adults as well as uproot, thoroughly wash, and repot your plant. That's the only way to ensure you get all of their larvae too.

Spider Mites

Perhaps the toughest pest to both find and treat, the spider mite is a scourge of succulents everywhere. These red mites are practically microscopic - you'd have trouble finding them with your naked eye. Instead, look for yellowish-brown scarring on your plants. This is an indicator that spider mites have been parasitizing them. Very fine, wispy webs are sometimes also an indicator of spider mites. Try not to confuse them with their larger cousins, regular old red mites. These are usually clearly visible to the naked eye and don't harm your plants.

Spider mites on a stem.

Neem oil is a natural oil that repels all kinds of insects and arachnids and is known to be effective against spider mites. It is not harmful to plants, so you can apply it daily until the infestation is gone. Otherwise, the old standby of a high-pressure wash is the best way to get rid of spider mites. They also have natural predators, such as ladybugs. If you feel compelled to use a biological control, ensure that you find a species native to your area.

Beed oil in a jar on the table with neem plant.

Do you have any tips for getting rid of pests? Are there any pests that we missed? Tell us below in the comments!

See also
Best Light Cycle for Flowering Succulents
« 5 Reasons Why Are Your Succulents Dying & How To Fix Them
6 Great Succulent Sites »

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • WhatsApp

Primary Sidebar

Fun head-shaped succulent planter growing beautiful succulents.

Hi, I'm Patrick! Welcome to SublimeSucculents.com, your one-stop source for everything related to growing and enjoying succulents!

More about me →

Popular Guides

  • Female artist pianting terracotta pots.
    How to Paint a Terracotta Pot - Simple Step by Step Painting Guide
  • Three snake plants in pot near a window.
    49 Types of Snake Plant - Most Popular Sansevieria Varieties
  • Man holding tablet, online succulent buying concept.
    7 Best Places to Buy Succulents Online in 2023
  • Pots with drilled hole and a driller on a table.
    How to Drill Drainage Holes in Terracotta and Clay
  • Lizzard on the rock close-up.
    11 Succulents Safe for Reptiles
  • Indoor succulent plants in pots.
    21 Best Low Light Indoor Succulents - Dead-Easy to Grow Inside

Recent Posts

  • Kalanchoe Mother of Thousands growing in a pot.
    Kalanchoe Mother of Thousands Growing Guide (Mexican Hat Plant)
  • A tiny succulent with spikes growing in a pot.
    35 of Rarest Succulents in the World: Endangered, Expensive or Effortful 
  • A gardener holding a succulent hybrid in a pot.
    Succulent Nothogenera - Everything You Need to Know
  • Different varieties of succulents in pots indoor.
    Succulent Pots With Drainage That You Should Use

Pages

  • Privacy Policy
  • FAQs & About Me
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · Sublime Succulents LLC.

988 shares
  • 805