What's eating my tasteless stonecrop?

Tasteless Stonecrop (Sedum sexangulare) grown as a houseplant is most commonly troubled by mealybugs hiding in its dense, needle-like leaf whorls. Spider mites can also colonise the plant in dry indoor conditions. Fungus gnats breed in overwatered soil. The compact structure makes early detection tricky — mealybugs are the primary threat.

White cottony wax deposits lodged between the tightly packed leaves; yellowing and weakened growth. Dab individual colonies with a cotton swab dipped in 70% isopropyl alcohol; spray with diluted neem oil; isolate the plant immediately.

Tiny pale speckling on leaves; fine webbing across leaf clusters; visible with a hand lens. Increase humidity around the plant; wipe down leaves; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap spray; repeat weekly for three weeks.

Larvae in the top inch of compost damage fine roots; adult gnats hover around the pot. Allow soil to dry out fully between waterings; apply Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) drench; use yellow sticky traps to monitor adults.