What's eating my panda plant?

Panda Plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa) is a tough succulent but mealybugs are its chief pest, hiding where the fuzzy leaves meet the stems and concealing themselves among the silver hairs. Scale occasionally colonises stems. Root mealybugs attack the roots unseen. The dense tomentum makes early spotting difficult — inspect at repotting time.

White waxy fluff tucked into leaf axils and stem joints; leaves yellow and plant weakens Use a fine paintbrush or cotton swab dipped in 70% isopropyl alcohol to reach bugs hidden in the tomentum; follow with neem oil

Roots coated in white powdery wax; plant wilts and growth stalls despite correct watering Unpot, rinse roots, let dry, treat with a systemic insecticide drench or diluted neem solution before repotting in fresh gritty mix

Small brown or tan bumps on stems; weakened plant with possible sticky honeydew Scrape off with a toothpick or toothbrush; wipe stems with an alcohol-soaked cloth