How to Get Rid of Mealybugs

This post will go over how to recognize a mealybug infestation, how to treat it, and how to help prevent it in the future.

While mealybugs are actually light purple, they appear to be small white bugs after they cover themselves in wax. They are typically oval-shaped and appear to be “fuzzy.” When grouped in a cluster, it can appear as though snow has fallen on your plants. Mealybugs can spread very quickly and their young may be darker in color (tan or pale yellow) before reaching maturity. Females tend to be larger than males and the bugs will range in size from .1 to .4 inches long.

What Attracts Mealybugs to Your Plants?

Mealybugs are attracted to the juices within your plant (the photosynthesis) as they will feed on them.
They will also drop waste called honeydew which may, unfortunately, attract other pests to your indoor plants.

You may have mealybugs on your plants if you notice one of the following signs or symptoms:

1. “Snow” on Your Leaves

   If your houseplant appears to have snow on some parts of its leaves (but no actual snowing has occurred), it may be infested with mealybugs.

2. Cotton-like Egg Sacks

   If you see egg sacks on your plants that look like wisps of cotton, you may have mealybugs. Take note that females can lay up to 100 eggs per sack, so try to remove them as soon as you see them in order to slow down the infestation.

1. Sickly/stunted Plant

   If your plant seems to be wilting, losing leaves or isn’t growing as vigorously as it should, you may have mealybugs. This is because they feed on the photosynthesis of your plant, causing damage over time.

To remove mealybugs from your plants, complete the following steps:

While there are no ways to fully prevent mealybugs, there are a few things you can do to minimize their impact if they do make it inside your home.

1. step 1

   Quarantine All Plants – Make sure to quarantine all plants that enter your home for at least one to two weeks. This will ensure that if you do have a problem, it won’t spread to your other plants.

1. step 2

   Avoid Taking Plant Outside – If you are concerned about a mealybug infestation, you may want to avoid taking your plants outside during the spring or summer months. This will increase the likelihood of mealybugs feasting on their leaves.

1. step 3

   Clean Gardening Tools Thoroughly – Always clean your gardening tools, especially if you are bringing them inside after working outdoors. You should also clean them between working on one plant to the next plant if you have noticed infestations in the past.

1. step 4

   Use Horticultural Oil – Spray your plants with horticultural oil periodically to kill any small mealybugs that you can’t see. This may be able to prevent a larger infestation from happening.

WHEN TO DESTROY/GET RID OF YOUR PLANT

At some point, you may realize that you will need to prune most of your plant in order to get rid of the damage or you can’t seem to get rid of the mealybugs no matter what you try, you may need to destroy or get rid of your plant.If you live in an area where your plants can live outside, you may be able to set them out on your patio (so long as there are no other plants nearby that they can harm) and introduce one of their predators to feed on them. Some of their predators include ladybugs and lacewings.

While there are no ways to fully prevent mealybugs, there are a few things you can do to minimize their impact if they do make it inside your home.

1. Quarantine All Plants

   Make sure to quarantine all plants that enter your home for at least one to two weeks. This will ensure that if you do have a problem, it won’t spread to your other plants.

2. Avoid Taking Plant Outside

   If you are concerned about a mealybug infestation, you may want to avoid taking your plants outside during the spring or summer months. This will increase the likelihood of mealybugs feasting on their leaves.

3. Clean Gardening Tools Thoroughly

   Always clean your gardening tools, especially if you are bringing them inside after working outdoors. You should also clean them between working on one plant to the next plant if you have noticed infestations in the past.

4. Use Horticultural Oil

   Spray your plants with horticultural oil periodically to kill any small mealybugs that you can’t see. This may be able to prevent a larger infestation from happening.