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Soft-bodied, 4mm-long mealybugs are often found on greenhouse plants and house plants such as cacti and succulents, feeding on their sap. They are covered by a white, waxy secretion, and congregate in leaf axils and other inaccessible parts

Both the 1cm-long black adults and 1cm-long plump, white, legless, brown-headed larvae are a problem. The latter hide in the soil, and feed on roots (severing them) and bore into tubers from autumn to spring. Container plants are most at risk

of these are available as biological controls, however, they need time to tackle the problem, so don't expect them to hoover up the aphids overnight. Small clusters of aphids can be squished with your fingers or washed off with a strong jet of water. Insecticidal soap