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Mealybugsare perhaps one of the most coarse indoor andoutdoor pestsout there .
These gadfly are a scale that run off your plant ’s sap . It can be a small hard to spot mealy bug before they start a settlement , as they often hide on the undersides of leaves .
Photo Credit: Instagram @dila.and.plants
The nymphs are the most destructive and can kill a plant if the plague is not discontinue . Meanwhile , adults will only survive long enough to breed .
But breastfeed your plant dry is n’t the only threat mealybug pose .
Their frass is partially digested sap , have intercourse as honeydew melon . Honeydew draw pismire , which protect mealy bug in exchange for this heart , which they use as a food germ .
The honeydew melon itself attracts fungous spores , especially sooty mold , which can further bedevil your works .
List of 9 Natural Mealy Bug Killers
As nasty as mealy bug are , you may combat them without resorting to harsh chemicals .
Here are 9 instinctive methods that can avail you fend off these midget little terror .
Apple Cider Vinegar
Vinegar can harm works unless diluted ; apple cyder acetum is meek and effective .
To apply , mix one part acetum with four parts water and pour into a atomiser nursing bottle .
Give your plants a salutary spray down at a time of day when they are n’t in verbatim sun .
Apply the solution every few days until the mealybugs are gone .
Diatomaceous Earth
This dust , made from the humbled fogey of diatoms , is harmless to humans and ducky but ravage to microbe .
Dust the plant life ’s leaves with the DE , which will lacerate any mealy bug that legislate over it .
The mealybug will dehydrate and die once the waxy coat and exoskeleton are compromise .
The downside to using diatomaceous earth as a dusting agent :
Essential Oils
Some essential oils can harm your plant , but a few are quite good when diluted or added to other remedy .
peppermint gum rock oil is the most effective , but citrus oils extracted from the Robert Peel are also quite unspoiled and may be less harsh on the nose .
Leaf Shines
A leafage shine is any mixture designed to spray onto a foliage and wipe off to pass on the plant life dust - free and glossy .
you could grease one’s palms premade leaf struggle or mix your own , such as homemade neem folio radiancy .
Most of these products use some form of horticultural oil . Use them when the plant is out of direct sunlight .
The crude will also vote out mealybugs and other pests when in contact . Reapply a few times per week .
Natural Predators
Outdoor plants have another defender : raw predator .
You will require to foreclose emmet from having memory access to infested plants or assail piranha .
Some species known to feed on mealybugs are :
Encourage the native population to assist out by planting marigold , rosemary , and other plants they wish .
Or , you may order them online and deliver them straight to your home .
Neem Oil
The magnate of horticultural oils , there ’s no deny neem ’s potency .
There are many character of neem oil colour and just as many ways to apply it . The most in force is a soil soak using raw neem and a foliar nebulizer with 1 % percent clarified neem .
Neem crude oil is also a popular factor in folio shine .
touch : Killing Mealybugs with Neem Oil
Pruning
Your plant is in all probability due for a trim , which gives you the perfect apology .
Isolate your plant life and apply peroxide or other sterilizing agent to see to it your shear remain disinfected after each cutting .
Starting at the top , harbour the leaf underneath and begin trimming infested leaves or branches .
Dispose of each bit instantly in a plastic bag or another sealable container .
This method will turn best on smaller colonies , but you may also utilize it to trim off the worst lot and follow up with other method .
Soap
Some plants are sensitive to scoop , but a speck of gentle soap in water can kill mealy bug and help keep plants clean and healthy .
Mix one tablespoon of soap into a dry quart of water system , spray down the plant , and wipe juiceless .
We advocate Dawn dish soap , pure Castile grievous bodily harm , or insecticidal soap ,
remark that this method acting is similar to leaf radiance but more concentrated . Be sure your works is large-minded of goop before using .
Water
Sometimes a hosepipe is enough to deal with these little pests . The water pressure will dislodge mealybug and post them flying .
This method acting wo n’t really vote out them , and there ’s always the jeopardy of commit them into another industrial plant or overwatering the one you ’re deal .
Still , it ’s an excellent method to practice in the firm if you have a detachable showerhead and have plants that favour a soak - and - dry method of watering .
