What's eating my curio articulatus?

Curio articulatus (the pipe cleaner plant) is mainly threatened indoors by mealybugs and spider mites, which target its jointed, succulent stems. Fungus gnats can also become a nuisance in overwatered compost. Inspect the stem joints regularly — that's where mealybugs shelter and early infestations are easiest to catch.

White cottony fluff in stem joints and leaf axils; sticky honeydew residue; stunted or distorted new growth. Dab individual colonies with a cotton swab dipped in 70% isopropyl alcohol; follow up with neem oil spray weekly for a month.

Pale stippling or silvering on stems; fine webbing visible in dry conditions; plant appears dull and dry. Raise humidity temporarily, wipe stems with a damp cloth, then treat with insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil; repeat every five to seven days for three cycles.

Adult flies around the soil surface; larvae chew fine roots, causing wilting in young plants. Allow the top inch of compost to dry fully between waterings; apply a Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) drench; use sticky yellow traps to monitor adults.