Along with the well - known aphid , the mealy bug is one of the most plebeian and harmful pests for our plant . fight the mealy bug and reject it from plant life is not sluttish , but today we will explain how to do it !
If you have had the misfortune to run into this pest or if you want to be aware , we will show you how to defeat mealybug without harm your works .
Contents
How to Detect Mealybugs in Plants
The mealybug is easy to obviate if it is detected betimes . To do this , it is important to check your plant life sporadically , paying limited attention to theback of the leaves , as this is where this pest is mostly found .
Types of Mealybugs
There are several types of mealybugs , but the most popular varieties of mealybugs are the following :
This eccentric of mealybug can aggress a tumid number of plant , whether indoors or outdoors . They are soft - incarnate , grayish - blank , or pinkish insect that can appraise up to 4 millimetre in duration and are commonly found mainly in the axils of the leaves and other places that are difficult to access , such as between several involved stems .
They release a silky , burnished white substance ( similar to cotton wool ) under which they hide the nut , making the attacked plants sticky and prone to developing black mould .
This type of mealybug mainly attacks plant life grown in pots , specifically cacti , succulent , geranium , fern , African violets , and fuchsias .
They are up to 2 mm long and are ordinarily covered , together with the roots , under a clean serous powder .
Long - tailed mealybug occurs of course in tropic and subtropical regions , but these day it is far-flung throughout the world . The range of host plants of long - trail mealy bug is less extensive than that of the citrus tree mealybug but it nevertheless embrace many species of ( decorative ) crops ( e.g. croton , orchid , grape , avocado , orchard apple tree , citrus ) . The species often dwell hold back situation such as auxiliary buds and prefers a warm , humid surroundings .
The long - bob mealybug is easy recognized by the retentive , posterior rump filaments , which are at least the length of the dead body itself . The length of the other filaments is roughly half the breadth of the body . The female is 3 – 4 mm long .
Theobscure mealybughas a very like show to the citrus tree mealybug , but its body is cover with a stocky layer of wax , the filament around the body are longer ( 20 - 50 % of the body size of it ) and the two tail filament are always markedly longer than the others .
The isolated mealybug is sometimes encountered on tomato , primarily at the foot of the stalk . These mealybugs can also make damage to decorative crop such as passiflora , pelargonium , and orchids . Pseudococcus viburniis unmanageable to control biologically .
What Causes Mealybugs
One of the main reason why mealybug can reproduce is because the environment is too dry . Indoor plants are often the unity that get attacked the most by these bugs , mainly because of specific humidity conditions .
Having high warming is a big constituent too . It makes the surroundings even drier , so it ’s important to ensure the environment does n’t dry out out and make it soft for mealybugs to appear .
One style to increase the humidness in your house is by placing container filled with water near the heating system radiators . The water vaporization will make the room more humid . Another , more in effect but less toll - favorable way , is to use humidifiers in your home .
If you have a severe plague , the good way to handle it is to find it early on , before the bugs spread all over the flora . Once you mark mealybugs , you should take action immediately by getting rid of all of them . If even one mealy bug is left on the plant life , it can regurgitate and cause the infestation to continue .
What Gets Rid of Mealybugs
Once the flora is infected with mealybug , there are three method to carry off it :
1. Using Household Items
To do away with mealybugs using family item , you’re able to postdate these steps :
Insecticidal soap ( link here * ) is a suitable option for treating mealybugs , as well as other pest like aphids or spider speck , and fungous payoff such as mildew and powdery mildew .
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2. Using Chemical Products
If the instinctive methods cite above do n’t completely eliminate the mealybugs , you may resort to using chemical substance products that are specifically design to kill these gadfly or forbid their reappearance .
After manually removing all the mealybugs from the plant , take a systemic insecticide that aim mealybug and spray the intact plant thoroughly . call back to keep the affected plant separate from those that are not touch on to prevent potential infections from diffuse .
Regularly monitor the flora and its leaves , paying closelipped attention to the depleted parts of the stems and the undersides of the leafage to ensure no mealybug have hold up . To effectively battle mealybugs , restate the covering of the systemic insecticide every 15 days . For plant with tough leaves like yuccas or ficus , you’re able to apply neem crude oil insecticide . This not only kills mealybugs but also gives the folio a shiny appearance .
It ’s crucial to take special care when employ these products to fend off damage the plant and to forbid ingestion by people or domestic animals .
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Bonide ( BND022 – Ready to habituate Neem Oil , Insect Pesticide for Organic Gardening ( 32 oz . ) – 2 Pack
When using insect powder against mealybugs , it ’s authoritative to follow several guidelines :
3. Using Natural Methods
Natural methods refer to using plants or brute to defend against mealy bug .
sure plant can be effectual in address with mealybug plague . Here are a few noteworthy examples :
The following tabular array read the serial of insect that are used for the biological treatment of mealybugs :
FAQ’s
Are mealybugs harmful to humans?
No ! The concern that mealybugs could be harmful to humans is unfounded . They neither have a proboscis ( sucking mouthpart ) nor can they prick humans . The ok hairs on the airfoil are also harmless .
They also can not taint humans . The only hosts useable to mealybugs as a reservoir of nutrient are plant .
Where do mealybugs come from?
Mealybugs often find their manner into your plate or garden through newly purchased plants . It ’s all-important to cautiously inspect plants at ironware stores or garden centers . If you notice white cottony webs on the plant life , it ’s best to avoid bribe them .
Choosing the right-hand location for your plants is crucial to prevent mealybug infestations . Avoid placing them in areas with insufficient light source . juiceless and warm melodic line produced by heating system system creates ideal conditions for mealybugs to multiply . Therefore , it ’s crucial to insure proper ventilation , specially in winter , and avoid placing plant life forthwith over fastball . Additionally , be cautious about using excessive atomic number 7 fertilizers , as it can attract mealybugs .
