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Hens and Chicks
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Hens and Chicks


I have two things

  1. What is the white stuff on my hens and chicks?

  2. Do I need to bring them inside for the winter? Any recommendations?

Thanks for your help!

by brmado

5 Comments

  1. ResidentFit7611

    Looks like it might be mealy bugs? They look a little different than I’m used to. Also, hen and chicks are cold hardy.

  2. TheLittleKicks

    Lots and lots and lots of !mealybugs. Also, as already stated, !sempervivum are cold hardy. See bot replies for more info.

  3. mustainerocks

    IMO looks like regular scale insects, not mealybugs. Not quite as bad as mealies, but still bad. They suck the juices out of your plants, slowly killing them, and can spread to other plants pretty rapidly.

    The infestation is pretty bad and the plant needs to be treated, but all those dead leaves down at the bottom is providing protection for the bugs. You need to remove those dried leaves, then the plant can be sprayed with a diluted alcohol solution (~60% alcohol) with a couple drops of dish soap in it, after which the little white spots can be rubbed off the plant with a tissue or cotton swab.

    But this plant is quite big, and there’s so many places for the scale insects to hide, I’d recommend using a systemic insecticide in addition to the topical treatment. A systemic will take a couple weeks to start doing its job, and the plant should be separated far from your other plants until the infestation is gone.

  5. Brave-Professor8275

    A really bad case of the mealies. Keep this planter away from all others. Once you’ve cleared the infection, they should be fine. Also, they can winter outside. I’m not sure if they would stay so beautifully compact if you wintered them inside? Maybe with a very strong and good quality grow light? Someone with more experience with this succulent should have a better answer for that; but, I’m in CT and I keep some of these outside all year long, even under snow. They bounce back come spring. Just require a little sprucing up of dead bottom leaves. Good luck!

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