Home»Pests - Diseases»Mealybug
mealy bug are tiny , flabby - incarnate , wingless insect covered in a soft grayish or white waxy protective stratum .
These piercing , sucking , wax - enshroud insects are only about a one-fifth of an inch long , but they lean to congregate in massive colony and take in the aliveness out of plant .
Photo Credit: Instagram @homesteadbrooklyn
What can you do about a mealybug infestation ? In this article , we share bright abode redress to assist you converge this threat to your plants .
What Damage Do Mealybugs Cause?
During the spring and summertime , mealybugs on plants can wreak mayhem on outdoor plants . In the winter , they be given to move indoors to attack houseplants .
Related : Details onHow to get rid of mealy bug outside .
You ’ll know you have a mealybug problem if :
A mealybug problem may start with a few individual bugs hiding in the crevices and under your plants ’ leave-taking . They can even be found in foliage , fruits , prime , and roots .
If you fail to notice them , they will procreate quickly as the adult female lay nut , and you will presently see them conglomerate en masse .
Theirsticky secretions(honeydew ) will collect on plants ’ leaves , stems , and surrounding surface if this survive long .
Honeydew further the increment of black , coal-black mold . It interferes with the plant ’s power to reach the luminousness take for photosynthesis .
Additionally , honeyed , sticky honeydew pull ant who come to gather it and carry it back to their burrows .
Ants also wish to “ farm”mealybugs by be active them around to the tips of plants ’ leaves so that they ’ll have greater access to plant sap . Ants may even “ Milk River ” mealybug by gouge them to get them to excrete honeydew melon on demand .
If you pay off tightlipped attention to your cosmetic plant , you ’ll notice mealybugs in the former degree . This is when it is easy to get disembarrass of them and prevent damage .
6 Remedies On How To Get Rid Of Mealybugs Naturally
Keep Your Plants Healthy
go along industrial plant healthy does not seem like much of a “ therapeutic . ” But mealybug and other pests are much more probable to infest decrepit , sickly legion plant .
Whenever you plant anything , take the time to research the needs and right upkeep of the plant .
put up the correct amount of sun , water , fertilizer , and air circulation to support your plant life so that it can crusade off pests .
Make Your Garden Attractive Solution To Beneficial Insects
Many good bugs like to make a repast of mealybugs , aphids , and other pests . Among the natural predators areladybugs , Mealybug Destroyer ( Cryptolaemus montrouzieri),lacewings , parasitical wasps , praying mantes , and more .
Also , mix a few of these industrial plant into your garden to create a suitable home ground :
These plants will alsoattract butterflies , devil’s darning needle , hummingbird , and other beneficial yard and garden dweller .
Hose Your Plants Down Periodically
A substantial atomiser of water can knock mealybugs to the ground . If you make a backbreaking cascade a regular practice , you could knock out mealybugs before you notice their presence .
A current of water discourages ants from bring in mealybugs or enabling those that might already be in your garden .
Use Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
Dust your plants ’ leave and stems lightly to kill mealybug and ants .
DustDiatomaceous Earthonto the soil environ your plant to discourage ants further . Remember to replenish your DE after tearing or after it rain .
Isolate Plants
If you see only a few mealybugs on individual indoor flora , isolate the plant and pass over them off with a paper towel or cotton plant swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol .
The rub alcohol will assist kill any insect , including the larva and eggs .
Keep an eye on that plant and replicate this treatment if new mealybugs look .
Insecticides: Make A Homemade Mealybug Spray
Make a homemade mealybug spray ( aka insecticidal max ) by commingle these ingredients :
pour the mix into a sprayer bottle and spray the oleaginous water system on your affected plants munificently . Spray the grime ’s surface as well . After two hours , rinse your plant well to shift any strayer that may not have come in contact with the atomizer .
This spray is effectual against all sonant - bodied plant cuss ( e.g. , whitefly and aphid ) and thehibiscus mealybug .
TIP : Always do a patch test before go for any treatment to your industrial plant . Spray one leaf and hold back at least an hour to be certain the industrial plant is not sensitive to the treatment .
Another mealybug ascendence is neem oil root .
Neem rock oil is a natural insecticide made from the seeds of the neem Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . you’re able to use this for spraying the overrun plants to control the mealybug .
Just combine 4 tablespoon of neem rock oil , 2 teaspoons of fluid soap , and a gallon of piddle .
The great thing about this solution is that it does n’t harm beneficial insects , and you do n’t have to fall back to chemical substance pesticides .
