Popular How To’s
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A common garden pest , mealy bug can wreak havoc on indoor and outdoor plants if not keep in baulk . The damage they cause can look similar to that of other pest , so it ’s important to properly identify the source before deal unnatural plant .
mealy bug thrive in warmer temperatures and are most often found on houseplant , glasshouse - grown specimens , or outside landscape plants in quick climate . In colder regions , they can be present outdoors during warm summer month .
Because mealybugs procreate ofttimes and in large bit , it ’s crucial to discern the early signal in parliamentary procedure to control and extirpate these pests .
On this page : What Are Mealybugs?|Types of Mealybugs|Get Rid of Mealybugs|Prevent Mealybugs|Recognize the Presence of Mealybugs|Identify Damage|Plants Susceptible|Frequently need Questions
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WHAT ARE MEALYBUGS?
mealy bug are small soft - embodied insects that are 1/20 to 1/5 inch in size . The white-hot or pale pink body is ellipse and distinctly segmented , with a white or gray cottony wax coating . mealybug are come to toscale ; however , unlike scale leaf , they retain their legs throughout their life cycle . mealy bug crawl and move slowly , so will not chop-chop circularize on their own .
Adult female person are wingless , while adult male person , which are seldom seen , are wasp - like in visual aspect and are wing and wing . mealybug reproduce quickly and in declamatory numbers , making them difficult to control and eradicate .
Mealybugs have suck mouthpart that are used to extract sap from plants . As they tip , some species may inject toxins or plant pathogen into server plants . Mealybugs excrete a sticky substance called honeydew , which can get petty problems , such as coal-black mold or draw emmet .
TYPES OF MEALYBUGS
Long - tailed mealy bug . photograph by : AjayTVM / Shutterstock .
There are one C of mealybug species , with about 300 mintage set up in North America . Some of the more usual include :
Citrus mealybugsattack citrus , landscape painting shrubs , and tropic or greenhouse specimens such as begonia , flame nettle , amaryllis , and cyclamen .
Long - tailed mealybugsare name for the rear end filaments that develop on this coinage . They prefer citrus tree , grapes , greenhouse stock , houseplants including dracaena , and can also strike a wide range of ornamental plants .
grapevine mealybugstarget grape vine and yield trees such as pears and pomegranates .
Mexican mealybugsprefer to feed on decorative plants including chrysanthemum , English English ivy , lantana , geranium , hollyhock , and poinsettia .
radical mealybugsfeed on the roots of ornamentals including anemone , iris , yarrow , African violet , and many types of shrub and ornamental sess .
HOW TO GET RID OF MEALYBUGS ON PLANTS
Their outer wax coating acts as a shield , make it difficult to exterminate mealy bug with Georgia home boy or oils . These remedy are more effective on vernal nymph , which have less protection .
If mealybugs are present , try these tips :
Spray with water:
Keep leaves clean:
To control honeydew and coal-black mold , wipe down affect leaves with a damp textile or spray with pee .
Introduce natural predators:
For outdoor and greenhouse environments , beneficial insects that prey on mealybugs volunteer natural pest restraint . These admit lacewing fly , spiders , ladybugs , parasitical wasp , minute pirate bug , and a madam mallet jazz as a mealybug destroyer .
Use rubbing alcohol:
Use a root of 70 % isopropyl alcohol . Soak a cotton ball in the inebriant and dab affected areas , which will remove and kill worm . Test a small area first to check that it does n’t cause leaf burning . For larger infestations , a 10 - 25 % root diluted with weewee can be applied with a spray bottle . iterate weekly if necessary .
Prune:
If the infestation is localized , trim out affect branch and throw out in the garbage .
Use insecticidal soap:
For gravid indoor or outdoor infestation , use aninsecticidal soap , such as Safer ’s . you’re able to also make your own answer by mix 1 tablespoonful of balmy liquid soap such as Castile or Ivory with 1 quart of weewee . use with a spraying bottle . Repeat treatment if necessary .
Try horticultural oil:
Neem oilis a natural curative derived from the neem tree . The crude oil will surface and choke egg , nymphs and adults . Repeat treatment as postulate . ( Read more onhow to habituate neem oil color . )
Dispose of affected plants:
Sometimes infestations are too big or ca n’t be controlled even with repeat diligence of soap , crude oil , or other remedy . In this case , the dependable solution may be to throw out the entire plant life to prevent the banquet of mealybugs to other plants .
Avoid chemical insecticides:
Though they may manipulate mealybug infestations , they may also kill beneficial worm .
HOW TO PREVENT MEALYBUGS
The most efficient shaft for controlling mealy bug is prevention .
Keep plants healthy:
Healthy plant are more capable to guard off pestilence and diseases .
Plant selection:
Choose plant that are less prostrate to mealybugs .
Inspect new plants:
cautiously visit newly buy plant before bringing them home from the nursery to prevent spread pestis to other plants .
Check plants regularly:
Make it part of your plant upkeep routine to inspect plants regularly to detect problems early on . devote airless care to works that are more susceptible .
Know the signs:
reckon for insect or eggs on young growth and more secret areas . suss out for plant damage , honeydew melon , or black jet-black mold .
Apply horticultural oil regularly:
For susceptible plant , wipe down leaves periodically with Neem oil to deter pests .
Avoid nitrogen-rich fertilizer and overwatering:
N stimulates offer new development that mealybug favor , and may chair to increased egg yield . Too much water can also lead to excessive new increment .
Check tools, pots, and stakes:
Mealybugs and bollock sacs may be shroud in these spot .
Lower indoor temperatures:
mealybug thrive in temperature between 70 to 90 degrees F. For houseplants that can bear cooler temperature , lower the thermostat to 60 degrees F at Nox to discourage pests .
HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE PRESENCE OF MEALYBUGS
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Look for excretions:
mealybug are most often find in colonies . mention plant for white cotton plant - like excretion , which will indicate clusters of mealybug or their egg theca . Mealybugs are sometimes confuse with other pests that also produce waxy coatings such asscale , aphids , andwhiteflies . Pull back the cottony finishing and examine closely to properly identify .
Examine plants thoroughly:
mealybug prefer more hidden spots . Look in foliage / stem turn joints , between two touching fruit , on stems near the grunge , or around the works jacket crown .
Check new growth:
These gadfly feed on newer flora ontogenesis , which is more sore .
Inspect containers:
Check around drainage holes of potted plants for cottony masses to detect the presence of root - feeding mealybugs .
Look for sooty mold:
The coming into court of disgraceful sooty mold that develops from the bearing of honeydew excretions is another indicator of mealybugs . Honeydew is produce by other sucking insects include whitefly , aphids , or leafhoppers , so it ’s significant to decent describe the source .
IDENTIFY MEALYBUGS DAMAGE ON PLANTS
Mealybugs provender by elicit sap from plants , get impairment to plant tissue paper . Symptoms may include stunting , yellow or wilted leaves , change shape growth , loss of bloom buds , defoliation , and greensickness . Honeydew excretions can interfere with photosynthesis and boost a fungus called sooty mould . With uttermost plague , plant may die .
PLANTS SUSCEPTIBLE TO MEALYBUGS
pic by : Protasov AN / Shutterstock .
Weakened or stressed plantsare more prostrate to pest legal injury .
Houseplantsthat mealybug favour include African violets , begonias , dracaena , hoya , orchid , jade plant , palms , philodendron , genus Schefflera , clivia , and poinsettia .
succulent , such as aloe , agave , and echeveria , are more vulnerable because of their compact shape and multi - superimposed leafage structure . mealybug like to hide in plant crevices , so industrial plant damage may not be apparent until an plague is well underway . Affected plants may develop marred leaf and become deformed .
Fruit trees and cropssuch as citrus , avocado , mango , and fig are more susceptible . Mealybug infestation may cause fruits to spend off prematurely .
Woody shrubs and ornamentalscan be prone to mealybugs in quick temperature , causing flower buds to drip off prematurely . Kniphofiaand phormium plant are particularly susceptible .
veggie cropssuch as cabbage , cucumber , lettuce , asparagus , capsicum , and beans may be affect .
FREQUENLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What causes mealybugs?
Mealybugs are most often introduce from infested nursery - grow plant purchased at a nursery or garden center . They may also be constitute in pot dirt or on grocery store green groceries . Carefully scrutinise new plants before buy and isolate new houseplants for several week to make trusted you ’re not infix plague to other industrial plant .
Are mealybugs harmful to humans?
Mealybugs do n’t bite , but coming into direct contact with them can cause modest pelt excitation for some people .
Why do mealybugs appear?
Mealybugs are attracted to sure form of plants and those with young newfangled development . They thrive in warm temperatures , so will be more commonly present alfresco during summer , in nursery environments , or inside the home .
