What's eating my hoya compacta?

Hoya compacta (Hindu Rope Hoya) is especially prone to mealybugs, which hide deep inside its tightly curled, waxy leaves where sprays can't easily reach. Root mealybugs are also common. Spider mites can strike in dry rooms. The dense folded foliage makes inspection essential — check new growth and stem junctions every two weeks.

White waxy fluff deep inside the curled leaves and along stems; sticky honeydew and sooty mould on outer surfaces Unroll affected sections and dab colonies with 70% isopropyl alcohol on a swab; follow with systemic imidacloprid soil drench for severe cases

White cottony residue visible in the root zone when repotting; unexplained wilting despite moist soil Unpot, rinse roots, remove all cottony material, and drench or soak roots in diluted insecticidal soap or imidacloprid solution before repotting

Bronzed, stippled patches on the waxy leaf surfaces; webbing in leaf folds in very dry conditions Raise humidity, rinse the plant including inside folds, and apply neem oil spray weekly for three weeks

Flat brown or oyster-shaped bumps on stems and the outer surface of leaves; leaf drop and sooty mould Scrape scales off manually with a soft toothbrush, then apply horticultural oil spray weekly until no new crawlers appear