How To Get Rid Of Pests In Succulents
Succulent plants are some of the most popular household plants in America due to how easy they are to care for them. While it isn’t easy to kill succulents, these household favorites are highly susceptible to pests. Unfortunately, pest control on succulent plants is more difficult than other types of plants due to their soft exterior, which can be easily damaged during extermination. If you do not have any extermination experience, you’ve come to the right place. Here are four steps you should take to rid your beloved succulents of pests.
Step 1: Examine Your Succulents
The first step to effective pest elimination is to determine which plants are affected. The two most common types of succulent pests are aphids and mealybugs. If you notice tiny specks on your plants, chances are they are infected with aphids. It’s important to rid your plants of aphids immediately as these small pests can do a lot of damage by sucking out the juice from your plants. Alternatively, mealybugs create fuzzy white lumps on plants and are particularly dangerous to succulents. Mealybugs feed on plant sap and have toxic saliva, which can cause distorted plant growth and even premature leaf drop. Regardless of the type of pest you notice, it’s important to administer proper care right away to avoid spreading and plant damage.
Step 2: Quarantine Affected Plants
Once you’ve determined which plants are infected, it’s time to quarantine the affected succulents to stop the bugs from spreading. Isolating your infected plants will also help you keep a closer eye on them so you can administer additional care to the plants that are not responding to treatment.
It’s also a good idea to quarantine any new succulents you purchase in a separate room for a few weeks before introducing them to your other plants. If any insect eggs were laid on the plant before you bought it, they will hatch, and you can physically remove the pests and treat the plant before you introduce it to your other succulents.
Step 3: Administer Proper Pest Control
One of the best ways to keep pests away from your succulents is to take measures to protect them. Taking preventative measures at the beginning will help you avoid a major headache down the road. Whenever you purchase a new succulent, it’s important to spray it with a systemic insecticide while the plant is quarantined. The insecticide will make your succulent poisonous to pests, and thus protect it from damage. It’s also wise to spray your plants for a second time when you re-pot them.
If one of your current succulents becomes infested, a great way to cure it if you wish to stay away from chemicals is to spray it with 70% alcohol. When you do this, make sure to cover every angle of the plant. If you find that alcohol does not work, you can opt for a mixture of dish soap and water or insecticidal soap or opt for an insecticide spray. Once your plant has been bug-free for 30 days, it’s safe to return them to the group.
Step 4: Keep A Watchful Eye
Just because you rid your succulents of pests once doesn’t mean they will stay away forever. After all, bugs are very attracted to plants. Check your succulents often for any sign of bugs and quarantine any affected plants right away.
Step 5: Repeat
If you find pests in your succulents again, repeat steps one through four listed above. If you are unable to get rid of the pests on your own, enlist the services of a professional pest control company.
Preventative Tips To Keep Pests Away
While you cannot eliminate the possibility of your succulents falling victim to pests, there are things you can do to help reduce the chance of this happening.
- Remove dead leaves, so bugs don’t have a place to breed and hide. Removing dead leaves will also help reduce the chance of mold forming.
- Aim to keep your succulents dry. Wet soil tends to attract pests.
- Don’t reuse soil or put dead leaves from infected plants into the compost pile.
- Keep your succulents strong during growing season by using a mild and balanced fertilizer.
