Mealy Bugs

Mealy Bugs

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White cotton-like bundles, stickiness/honeydew

Rarity:

Common

Warning Signs:

Hoya, Succulents, Maranta

Common Plants:

Isopropyl Alcohol

Easy Treatments:

Warning Signs

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Mealy Bugs are one the most common pests. But luckily, they are easy to identify and easy to treat.

The biggest sign a plant is struggling with Mealy Bugs is you see some on the plant. They look like soft, white rolly-polly bugs.

They are most commonly on new growth, but will also settle on old growth. They like to be tucked up into nooks so that they are sheltered and out of harms way. Areas where leaves meet the stem or under leaves - usually along their edges - are where they are most commonly found. Pretty much in all the crooks and crannies of your plant.

Another big sign of Mealy Bugs is their Nests. Their nests are made of this cotton-like white substance and look like the little bits of a Q-tip everywhere. If there are lots of little Mealies everywhere, then there is probably a nest somewhere.

Another possible sign is if your plant has sticky residue on it. When Mealy Bugs eat, they ingest the juices from your plant and poop it back out as honeydew, which is a sticky waste product. If you’re seeing or feeling sticky stuff on your plant, you could be dealing with mealybugs and should do a thorough check.

Treatments

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The easiest way to treat Mealy Bugs is to use a Q-Tip and Isopropyl Alcohol.

Spray a little bit of Alcohol on your Q-Tip. Then use that to squish and rub off any Mealy Bugs you see. The Alcohol stuns the bugs and its presence deter the them from wanting to come back.

Note: Be careful to not to leave too much Alcohol sitting on your plant as that can lead to damage. Wipe of any excess with a rag or your fingers.

Note: This approach is easiest when there are only a few bugs or nests. It is still the most effective on larger scale infestations, but it will take a lot longer to clear them out this way and be way more tedious.

For larger infestations, you can dip sections into Isopropyl Alcohol for a few seconds. Just make sure to rinse the plant off thoroughly afterward.

You can also use insecticidal sprays like Captain Jack’s Insecticidal Soap or All-Season’s Horticultural & Dormant Spray Oil mixtures to clear out larger infestations. Please READ the DIRECTIONS on these to make sure to use them properly. These methods work best if alcohol is sprayed first to stun the pests. The alcohol also compromises their skin, making the insecticides much more effective.

It is best to stay on top of Mealy Bugs, as they are much easier to manage if there are only a few of them.

Note: When applying just insecticides, you may have to use them multiple times before they are fully effective.

Side Note: Check out my Pest Page for more tips on how to manage pests!

For more Basic Care Tips:

Visit my General Care Tips page. It can give more basic tips for:

Discovering Light Levels - Watering Frequency - Fertilizing - and More!