What's eating my aeonium sunburst?

Aeonium Sunburst can be grown indoors or outdoors. Indoors, mealybugs are the primary threat, hiding in the tight rosette centre. Scale insects colonise the stems. Outdoors, aphids attack the central growing point and vine weevil grubs may eat roots. The large flat rosette makes pests easy to spot — check the centre at every watering.

White fluffy deposits in the tight centre of the rosette; leaves become sticky with honeydew and yellow Flush the rosette centre with a fine jet of water; apply isopropyl alcohol with a cotton swab; follow with neem oil spray weekly

Brown or tan oval bumps fixed to leaf midribs and stems; foliage pales and growth slows Scrape off with a soft toothbrush; apply horticultural oil and repeat treatment after 10–14 days

Clusters of soft insects in the growing centre; distorted new leaves and sticky honeydew residue Blast off with water; apply insecticidal soap spray once a week; check for re-infestation for 3 weeks

C-shaped white grubs eat roots; plant suddenly collapses despite adequate watering Apply nematodes (Steinernema kraussei) to moist soil in late summer or early autumn; inspect roots when repotting