Pests of Succulent Plants and Cacti

Although cacti and other types of succulent plants are highly resistant to diseases, pests and disorders, like any other plant they can suffer from these types of problems.

Therefore, we are going to talk about the pests that cacti and some succulent plants can suffer.

Pests and diseases of succulents and cacti

Both cacti and succulents are very easy plants to care for. They endure frost, lack of irrigation, inclement weather, etc. But that does not mean that they are exempt from suffering pests and diseases.

In fact, it can happen that a plant of this type dies on you. Therefore, you have to know thoroughly what kind of pests and diseases are common, both of one and the other.

We will detail them below so you can learn more about them.

Pests

Pests do not have a certain time in which they appear, they can do so at any time in the life of the plant, and also in any season of the year.

The most common pests that can be found in succulent plants are:

Mealybugs

This type of pests is very frequent, especially in cacti and succulent plants. This type of pests is characterized by attack the roots and the aerial part of the plant. The mealybugs Root attackers can be detected by inspecting the roots and looking for a white milkweed.

However, if a plant suffers from this type of pests, it can be detected since the plant stops its growth and remains dwarfed.

In addition, you will notice a bulge or discharge attached to the leaf or stem, as well as the appearance of white balls, more or less large, that will be attached to the leaves, stem, etc.

There are three types of mealybugs to consider:

• The shell ones. Inside this shield is the insect, but there may also be eggs.
• Those with hardened shell. You couldn't remove the shell and they are much larger.
• Cottony mealybug. It is the best known of all and the one that attacks the plant in a massive way, in such a way that if you do not realize it, it can kill it in a matter of days.

In the case of cacti and succulents there is one more mealybug, the Eriococcus coccineus, which is brownish in color and measures 1-2 millimeters in diameter. It is very difficult to see or identify because many times you will think that it is like a spot from the cactus or the succulent plant.

For To prevent the appearance of these mealybugs it is important that we treat the plant with folithion or baytroid. In the same way, we can immerse the plant in the pot for 30 minutes in a mixture of water with insecticides that are made from diazinon or folithion.

Caterpillars

Generally, Caterpillars often damage plants during night hours, when the temperature and light are low. To eliminate these types of plants it is important that we spray them with some type of insecticides. It should be noted that the insecticides that we use to eliminate the mealybugs will help us to get rid of the caterpillars.

Mites

Among the most common mites that can occur in this type of plants, it is the red spider. Although they are quite difficult to detect with the naked eye, since they are very small. It is important to eliminate this pest for the good of our cacti.

It is characterized by attacking especially the leaves, which at first They will have yellow or gray spots, which will move from the tip to the entire sheet.

Behind them there may be a fine cobweb, and that is where the spider may be.

If your cactus or succulent plant suffers from this plague, you will notice that it is dull and that it is even getting weaker and weaker.

Aphids

Aphids are another of the common pests of succulents and cacti. Are They cause the leaves to curl, the shoots suddenly twist, the plant does not grow and even black areas appear, as if they had necrotized. And this is due to the bites of aphids.

You find them mainly behind the leaves and on the young shoots, and they are easy to distinguish because they form groups and, when removed, they will come out alone.

Of course, every area that they attack does not fully recover, it is very difficult for that to happen.

White fly

They are not so common, but it can happen. They attack the leaves of the plant, which turn yellow until they fall off. What they do is feed on the sap of the plant, in such a way that they deplete it and kill it from the inside, especially with the larvae that they leave on the leaves, very similar to mealybugs.

Trips

These insects are common too. They are winged and very, very small, so much so that it is sometimes very difficult to distinguish them, especially if they stay still. They are yellowish in color and attack leaves and flowers. You will have them especially on the underside of the leaves.

Management

In the case of cactus and succulent diseases, you must bear in mind that the culprits can be three pathogens:

• Mushrooms. They are the ones that mostly attack succulents and cacti.
• The bacteria. Especially in the crass.
• The virus. Rarer than they affect.

In general, what you are going to face the most is fungi, especially in the case of succulents.

From diseases, you would have:

fusarium

It is a fungus, the Fusarium oxysporum, which mainly affects the roots.

Neck rot

Caused by another fungus, the Phytophthora. Among the symptoms it produces are stem discoloration, becoming rotten.

Internal rot

There are many fungi that can affect them. It is a disease that It is produced inside the plant, and what it does is rot it inside, in such a way that it loses its color and fades to become brown or black.

Botrytis

Have you ever seen a crass covered with a gray mold? Well that is a consequence of the fungus Botrytis cinerea.

Roya

Caused by the fungus uromyces. Among the symptoms that you will find are the small bumps on the stem and leaves. Also, in the case of cacti, you will notice that something happens when the thorns start to fall off.

bacteriosis

Unlike the previous ones, it is caused by a bacteria, erwinia, who makes the plant slippery inside and end up dying.

How to remove them

Each plague and disease has its way of acting. In the Most of the cases this works through insecticides, fungicides, natural predators and home remedies. However, there are cases in which it is impossible to save and, before it can affect other plants, it is recommended to nip it by the roots for the good of others.

In general, in the case of pests, what can be done is:

• Manually remove insects before spraying an insecticide according to the pest to be eliminated.
• Pour water on the plant to eliminate insects (this is not recommended when the pest appears due to humidity).
• Apply a home remedy of a mixture of soap with burning alcohol and water on the crass or cactus.
• Throw out some natural insect predators, such as ladybugs.

On the other hand, in the case of diseases, since most are caused by fungi, the most effective thing is to apply fungicides on the plant and isolate it from others so that they are not contagious.

What to do to prevent succulents from having pests and / or diseases

Do you want to prevent your succulents and cacti from suffering from pests and / or diseases? So the most important thing is to provide basic care appropriate to the type of plant you have in hand. In particular, you should place greater emphasis on the following:

• Irrigation. It is very important that you do not overdo this. In fact, it is preferable to have a lack of water than an excess. In addition, you must control that the soil is draining and that the pot has no problems releasing the water. Another tip is not to wet the leaves with watering because that will only cause fungi to appear.
• The earth. Every x time you must change it. Keep in mind that for plants it is where they get their nutrients and these are running out.
• Beware of transplanting cacti and succulents in winter, because the only thing that will do is that they can be weakened and the appearance of diseases or pests is more likely.

Do you have any questions about cactus and succulent diseases and pests? Tell us and we will try to help you.