What's eating my hoya?

Hoyas are most threatened by mealybugs, which tuck into leaf axils and the waxy leaf undersides and are easy to miss. Scale and spider mites also appear in dry indoor conditions. The thick, waxy leaves give some protection, but stem nodes are vulnerable. Inspect every new growth cluster regularly.

White cottony wax at leaf axils, nodes, and along stems; leaves yellow and growth stalls; sticky honeydew develops Dab colonies with 70% isopropyl alcohol; spray with insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil; repeat every 7–10 days for a month; keep new plants quarantined

Brown, flat, oval bumps on stems and leaf undersides; yellowing; sooty mould from honeydew Scrape off manually; apply horticultural oil to smother remaining crawlers; systemic insecticide for severe cases

Fine pale stippling across leaves; light webbing in leaf axils; more common in low-humidity heated rooms Wipe leaves with a damp cloth; spray neem oil or insecticidal soap; increase local humidity; repeat weekly