Sounds like mealie bugs. I received cuttings recently with signs of mealies in and I sprayed them with 100% alchohol with no ill effects, they rooted and are growing. Don't bring the cuttings anywhere near your other plants until you are sure for at least 2 weeks that they are free of pests.

Another question that I would like to know - (by the way thank you luckylittle bug for your reply)
Anyways another question I wondered.... when you get a cutting like the one I am going to post below and it is cut really close to the leaves - do you pick off the first couple of leaves and plant the cutting that way - or just plant it with this really short stem... the photo I posted below you will see on the right side it has a really short stem? What is the best way for me to plant it?

Golden I would leave those bottom leaves on and just try to pot the cutting lying along the surface with the base of the leaves partially buried. Those leaves are too valuable to chop off because the others are quite small and will not be able to collect enough energy alone. I partially bury leaves all the time with no ill effects, new growth will often appear from that part of the cutting as well.

You got a peduncle on that Hoya sp GPS 10080 !!!!!! My cutting of that species looked much more plump but in either case it rooted quickly and put out new leaves right away.

Mike

I agree with Mike - keep the leaves and just put the cutting in the soil with the leaves partially buried. Then with stiffer cuttings, I'll use a hair clip to clip it to the side of the pot (further up) and hold it in place to root.

Cuttings I send or receive, I always "swish" them around in a sink of sudsy, tepid water (I use Dawn) to kill any possible buggers. The neem oil should work well, too.

Denise in Omaha