It's probably mealy bugs. Yes, you can swab it with alcohol...it won't hurt the plant. I would also spray all the foliage (including all the nooks and crannies and under the leaves...that's where they hide) with rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle.

If that's not enough and they come back, or if you want to do a more thorough job to ensure they go away, then you can use something like BATS (Bayer Tree and Shrub) - don't follow the directions on the bottle since it's for trees...just mix 2 tablespoons per gallon and soak the soil.

Mealies are common with hoyas, more with some than others. Make sure to separate this plant from the others, and check all your other plants.

Good luck,
Gabi

Is it liquid? or is it fuzz?

Two very different things, your use of the word 'gob' makes me wonder abt Hoya sap (it can look like Elmer's glue), a natural thing of the plant's sap, not harmful.

If fuzzy & cottony, then that's mealy bugs & then pls. proceed as Gabi suggests above.

Ihave determined that is indeed mealy bugs,the hoya that sits along side is also covered with same, so I probably will spray with the alcohol, would I also repot with new soil, one is in a plastic pot, the other in a clay pot. Also I have been waiting forever for these two to bloom, could the mealy bugs prevent the blooming process???

Having mealies shouldn't stop the blooming process, but they are hideous and hard to get rid of. You don't need to repot, but when you spray, spray up under the rim of your plastic pot because they can be there, also, and will come back if you miss even one. Just be sure to keep your plants out of the sun for the day that you spray as the alcohol in combination with sunlight can cause ugly spots.

Due to mealies, I closely examine every plant when I water it. It's very time consuming, but catching them early is the key. When I see even just one, I use the Bayer Tree & Shrub as Gabi suggested on the infected plant.

Denise in Omaha

Okay.....I did the alcohol spray, I did not repot, I sprayed around edges of both pots and did a little praying. We will see what happens, I really love my Hoya's and I really dont want to lose them after four years of fussing over them, I just want one bloom, that is all, just ONE! Wish me luck! Sue

Good luck Sue with your blooming. As the others said best to catch the mealy's early, I have bats at home and would use it if the first set of alcohol treatment doesn't work. Also isolate your infected hoyas until they are free of mealy's.

shanna

If you are not into using the hard core insecticides you can also try insecticidal soap. Spray plants and then wait a week and spray again. I use a natural approach when ever I can and insecticidal soap is what I use when I have an insect problem with my plants because you can use it as a spray on foliage and as a pot drench safely in your home with no dangerous fumes or residues.

Mike