What's eating my aloe gariepensis?

Aloe gariepensis is a clustering South African aloe grown indoors as a houseplant collector's plant. Mealybugs are the primary pest threat, followed by scale insects. The clustering growth habit creates many sheltered leaf axils where pests can hide and multiply unseen — inspect between offsets during every watering check.

White fluffy wax in leaf axils and between clustering rosettes; yellowing and weakening of affected growth points Treat each colony with isopropyl alcohol; spray entire plant and soil surface with neem oil; separate clusters if infestation is heavy; repeat weekly

Hard waxy bumps on leaves; honeydew and sooty mould; reduced growth and yellowing over time Scrape off with a soft brush; apply horticultural or neem oil spray; repeat every 7–10 days until clear

Gradual wilt and decline; visible white powdery coating on roots; soil may smell sour Unpot and inspect roots; rinse off all soil; soak roots in neem solution; repot in fresh, dry, well-draining mix