What's eating my sedum?

Sedum (stonecrop) grown indoors or outdoors is most vulnerable to mealybugs and aphids. Outdoors, slugs and snails damage fleshy stems at ground level, vine weevil larvae eat roots, and deer and rabbits browse foliage in garden settings. Scale insects can appear on woody stems. Indoor plants mainly face mealybugs and spider mites.

White cottony deposits between leaves and at stem joints; leaves yellow and become sticky; plants in dry indoor conditions are most at risk. Dab with isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab; spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil solution; repeat every 10 days for a month.

Soft-bodied insects clustered on new growth and flower buds, especially in spring; leaves curl and growth is distorted; sticky honeydew attracts sooty mould. Blast off with a jet of water; apply insecticidal soap spray; encourage ladybirds and lacewings in outdoor plantings.

Irregular chewed holes in fleshy stems and leaves of outdoor plants; silvery slime trails; damage worst on ground-level stems in wet weather. Apply iron phosphate pellets around the base; hand-pick at night; use copper tape around containers; clear leaf litter where they shelter.

Larvae devour roots of container-grown plants, causing sudden wilting and plant collapse; adults leave small notches on leaf margins at night. Apply Heterorhabditis nematodes to warm, moist soil in late summer; check roots of wilting plants for C-shaped white grubs; repot into fresh compost after destroying larvae.