How To Get Rid Of Mealybugs?
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What’s This Post About?

If you take a keen interest in gardening, you’ll know that pesticides like mealybugs can harm your plants. We will discuss various ways to get rid of mealybugs that appear on your plantation, regardless of whether they are present indoors or outdoors.

It would be best if you dealt with this infestation seriously. If not, it might damage your entire plantation. Though it can be an arduous job, you’ll eventually get rid of them. We’ve put together everything you need to know about mealybugs. Read through to learn the right steps you can take to sort this situation!.

There are a few effective remedies that you can adopt to eliminate mealybugs. You can wash your plants with water or rub 70% isopropyl alcohol on it by using either a Q-tip or a spray bottle. You can also use insecticidal solutions or neem oil to take quick action before they propagate faster.

What Are Mealybugs?

Mealybugs are soft white insects that resemble cotton in their appearance. They feed on outdoor and indoor plantations and usually emerge in warm weather. This means you should be on the lookout if you live in a humid area.

Are you fond of gardening and searching for solutions to curb the spread of mealybugs? Well, you’ve just come to the right place! One of the most common issues that gardeners face is called mealybugs.

They have a waxy coating and piercing mouthparts which they use to suck fluids from leaves and their stems, taking away vital nutrients from the plants in the process. Also, they produce excess honeydew, which acts as a growing soil for a black-colored fungus called sooty mold.

Some of the species of mealybugs you may encounter on your plants could include vine mealybugs, citrus mealybugs, grape mealybugs, and pineapple mealybugs.

Ways To Get Rid Of Mealy Bugs

Mealybugs hide in concealed spots such as stem crevices or the underside of leaves, making them hard to spot. They suck the succulents out of the leaves and stems, making them devoid of essential nutrients, causing stunted growth.

If you have a garden or you’re fond of indoor plantations, you need to be vigilant of any such attacks and treat them instantly. If not, they will spread out rapidly. The first and foremost thing to do when you discover mealybugs is to isolate the plant right away.

Remember, you don’t want the plague to spread out, eventually destroying your entire plantation. There are multiple ways to get rid of mealybugs.

1. Wash The Plant With Some Water

You might want to wash away the mealybugs with a steady stream of water. Use your garden hose to pour water on the infested plants. However, keep in mind that this technique is only useful if there is a slight infestation. You might have to resort to more rigid methods if there has been a full-blown attack.

2. Apply Rubbing Alcohol On Plant

One of the most effective methods we’ve come across is to rub the infected plants with rubbing alcohol. Note that not every type of alcohol will help you get rid of mealybugs and can have a deleterious effect on the plantations. We recommend using 70% isopropyl alcohol for the best results.

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Dip the cotton swabs in alcohol and wipe off all the visible pests on the plant. It would be best if you did this job quite meticulously, though. The pests need to come into direct contact with the alcohol to kill them. To ensure this happens, you have to thoroughly inspect from various angles, underneath the leaf folds and joints to the base of the stem and even the edges of the pot.

Once you’ve wiped off the foliage, prepare a diluted alcohol solution in a spray bottle and spray it on the entire surface of affected plants. This will make sure the alcohol reaches a considerable area of the plant.

Keep in mind that you can’t get rid of the bugs with just a single application of alcohol. You’ll have to repeat the treatment twice a week.

3. Use Insecticidal Soap On Plant

Another simple way to get rid of mealybugs is to spray them with insecticidal solutions. These can be made using a dish detergent or can readily be found in the market. Make sure you use an insecticidal soap that is suitable for ornamental plants.

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I recommend this inseciticidal soap as it gives great results when it comes to the elimination of mealybugs!

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If you prepare a dilute solution yourself, spray it abundantly. The entire plant should be dripping with insecticide. A thoroughly soaked plant with the treatment would give you the most effective results.

You would have to repeat the procedure frequently to get rid of the bugs completely. Refer to the insecticide instructions to make sure you spray an adequate amount without damaging the plant.

4. Using Neem Oil

Do you know that neem oil acts as a natural insecticide and fungicide? In addition to this, it has been declared safe to use on vegetables, fruits, and other edible plants. You can buy a bottle of concentrated neem oil at cheap rates, and make a dilute mixture.

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Keep spraying the neem oil mixture regularly on the infested plants, reaching deep into the whorls until the bugs disappear entirely. You might find it very daunting and frustrating to reapply the mixture every day. Just don’t give up, as the residual effect has a lasting impact.

Useful Tip

What To Do?

Watch out for honeydew when you're looking for signs of mealybugs. If you detect honeydew, it is a certain indication of mealybugs. OR, despite using these methods, if you're still unable to manage the infestation, discard the plant.

How To Prevent Mealybugs From Attacking Your Plants?

Dealing with mealybugs that have found their way into your home or garden can undoubtedly be a frustrating experience. But how can you prevent them from building a home in your plants in the first place?

Here are a few tips that will help prevent the infestation of mealybugs.

• Before you bring any new plant, examine it carefully to ensure it isn’t carrying any pests. You do not want to regret it later. It’s better to be cautious, as there might be a possibility of the new plant being the root of future infestation.

• Monitor the levels of water and fertilizers that you provide to your plants. Keeping the nitrogen levels low reduces the growth of these organisms.

• Give some extra attention to your plants to make sure they stay intact. Water the plants or wipe the leaves regularly with a neem oil solution. This will mitigate the chances of any plausible infestation from damaging your plants.

Keep Reading

Mealybugs can be dangerous for the health of your plant. Therefore, it is crucial to eliminate their presence as soon as possible. While there are many ways to do this, you should either clean them with water, use rubbing alcohol, use soapy water or use an insecticidal soap. Whatever you do, you need to remove their presence.

If you’re new to all of this and wish to learn more, I think you should read more about bugs. I recommend this post about the succulents attracting bugs!

Do Succulents Attract Bugs? Yes! Let's Learn How You Can Prevent Them!

Are you curious to know, whether succulents attract bugs? Read the post to figure out the truth behind the matter.

Posted in: Mealybugs Insecticide Infestation