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Mealybugs pull plant juice with their piercing - suck mouthpart , resulting in plant stunting , leaf yellowing , and contortion . Further damage results from black sooty mold , which grow in the mealy bug ’ secreted honeydew – impeding the plant ’s photosynthesis abilities .
mealy bug are a global problem for both indoor and out-of-door decorative crops . Most decorative plants can have mealybug infestations , specially in their most active season in warm , dry conditions .
A poison found in the saliva of the citrus mealybug causes its legion plant to drop off leaves and bud . The mealybugs , their ovisacs , honeydew , and pitchy molds play havoc on heavily afflicted plants .
Table of Contents
Identifying Mealybugs
Mealybug Lifecycle
Mealybugs belong to the superfamily Coccoidea of insects , which also includes armored exfoliation , voiced scales , and cottony cushion scale .
mealy bug are typically found in Colony feeding in moderately protected locations , such as between two touching fruits , in a industrial plant ’s jacket crown , in the genital organ of branch , on stems close to the ground , or between a stem and touching leafage . A few species of mealybugs consume root .
Most mealybug adult female lay 100–200 or more eggs in cottony egg sacs over 10–20 days .
Egg sacs can be fastened to fruit , twigs , leaves , bark , or crowns . The long - go after mealybug is an anomalousness , laying eggs that stay inside the female until they hatch .
Newly cover mealybug nymphs are active but can not travel speedily or far as they maturate old . calculate on the species and home ground , mealybugs can have two to six generation yearly . All stages could be present all yr round in warm orbit or indoor plant environments .
mealy bug are occasionally mistaken for blighter like the cottony shock scale , woolly aphids , and even soft scales and whitefly that make waxy coats and honeydew melon and stimulate black sooty mold . To correctly key the bug , inspect it beneath the wax exhaustively .
An Interesting Mealybug Gender Fact:
Adult male mealy bug , which are infrequently seen , are tiny two - winged insects with two long tail filaments , but grownup distaff mealy bug are wingless and resemble nymphs in shape .
nonsexual facts of life is a common reproduction method acting for mealybug species .
Seven Ways to Get Rid of Mealybugs
Mealybugs are difficult to manage because of the eggs sac ’s waxy frivolity encasing , which makes them mostly water - resistant .
Also , as name , nymphs and adults tend to cluster in industrial plant fissure where it is challenging to utilise pesticide . Nonetheless , here are five ways to get disembarrass of mealy bug .
1. Divide and Conquer to Get Rid of Mealybugs
To block eruption of mealybug , it is crucial to find infected plants chop-chop and isolate them . mealybug typically live the underside of leaves , the junctions of leafstalk and leaves , and areas skinny to the pedestal of industrial plant .
2. Spray With Insecticidal Soap
you may grease one’s palms insecticidal soaps ( like Safer ’s Insecticidal Soap ) or make your own by mixing Ivory Liquid dish detergent with water .
Look for a product devoid of chemical substance and scents that could ache plants . Water should be combined with soap at a low immersion ( starting a 1 teaspoon per congius and increase as necessary ) . Infuse plants with the soapy solution .
3. Use Isopropyl Alcohol
To kill and remove mealybug , soak a cotton nut in normal rub alcohol and hold it to the louse . utilise a root that control no more than 70 % isopropyl alcohol , and try it on a foliage first before apply it to the industrial plant as a whole to ensure that the alcohol wo n’t burn it .
4. Use Neem Oil
A born mathematical product derive from the neem tree is neem oil , which disgust dirt ball when applied as instructed and interferes with their feeding ability .
According to the EPA , Neem crude is safe for ornamentals , vegetable , and other eatable plants .
5. Introduce Predatory Insects
Lacebugs , lacewings , leechlike wasps ( Leptomastix dactylopii),and a mallet sometimes bed as the “ mealybug destroyer ” ( Cryptolaemus montrouzieri ) , are natural predators of mealybugs .
These are more usually used for outdoor infestations or in greenhouse situations and are available from commercial-grade on-line retailers .
6. Make Your Own Mealybug Spray
One garlic clove of ail , one lowly onion , and one teaspoonful of cayenne Madagascar pepper should be coalesce or processed into a paste to create a batch of DIY garden pesticides . Steep for an 60 minutes after mixing into a dry quart of water .
Add one tablespoon of liquified dish soap after pass the miscellanea through a cheesecloth . blend well . The combination can be keep in the refrigerator for up to a week .
Soak the areas infested to get rid of the mealybugs .
7. Should I Use Synthetic Chemical Pesticide to Get Rid of Mealybugs?
In most cases , non - chemical technique are enough for control outdoor flora in gardens and landscape .
insect powder for the home and garden , peculiarly on adult plant , are inefficient against mealy bug .
The mealybugs ’ waxy covering makes them resistant to most contact insecticides and be given to congregate in difficult - to - reach places .
What Causes Mealybugs?
mealybug are drawn to specific plants that provide the fluid they prefer to eat . Mealybugs can jeopardise several commercial crops , like mango , and citrus Tree are peculiarly vulnerable .
Several indoor houseplant , especially tropical species , are susceptible to mealybug infestation .
mealy bug have low mobility for most of their lives and are usually introduced by plant material from septic crops and locations brought in .
Mealybugs may also occur if you overwater and overfertilize your plant since they are describe to plants with soft , brisk growth .
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is a mealybug’s lifecycle?
Mealybug females lay 200–600 testis , which hatch after a few days . Unless they are eliminate , mealybug infestations can last for up to ten weeks before the new hatch insects are quick to lay their own egg .
What plants are most susceptible to mealybugs?
Mealybug maturation is particularly likely in tropical industrial plant with weaker radical and leave . The plants known to be in particular vulnerable let in orchid , African violet , begonia , coleus , and amaryllis . However , in warmer climes , many outdoor industrial plant will probably have infestations . mealybug expand in a kitchen range of 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit .
What is the best way of getting rid of mealybugs?
Insecticidal soaps , horticultural oil , or neem oil insecticide use direct on mealybugs can provide some suppression , specially against young nymphs that have less wax accruement .
In Closing
If you come about to confuse scale of measurement with mealy bug , do not fret . The methods recommended for you to get rid of granulose bug will work on a scale too .
