Autumn Joy Sedum Bugs

Types

• Autumn Joy can be damaged by slugs. Slugs feed on flowers, fruits and vegetables and are difficult to control. Slugs use their mouthparts to feed on flowers, usually after dark. Additionally, mealybugs, which are active during the warm and dry months, infest Autumn Joy.

Symptoms

• Slug symptoms include chewed leaves, scrape marks on leaves and leaf consumption. Slugs leave a slimy trail near their food source. Mealybugs feed on plant tissue by sucking out sap. Plants infested with mealybugs often have sooty mold. Mealybugs produce a sticky substance that encourages the fungus to develop on plants.

Control

• Reduce the number of slugs by removing debris in your garden. Baits and traps eliminate slugs, as well. Watering early in the day allows the flowers time to dry before the evening, when slugs are most active. Mealybugs are eliminated by spraying the plants with a hard stream of water, knocking the insects off. Insecticides may also eliminate mealy bugs.