How Do You Control Mealybugs On Indoor Plants?
Mealybugs are cottony-looking insects with piercing/sucking mouth parts. They suck the fluids from leaves and stems, robbing plants of essential nutrients. Leaves wither and yellow and may drop from the plant. Indoors, mealybugs thrive in the warm, dry environment and may produce several new generations each year. Identify mealybugs by looking on the undersides of leaves and around leaf joints. These insects look like small (1/10 to 1/8 of an inch) balls of cotton. Mealybug-damaged plants look withered and sickly and may have sticky sap on the leaves and stems. Move an infested plant to isolate it from the rest of your houseplant collection. Mealybugs are invasive and will infest other plants. Spray a strong jet of water directly on the affected area of the plant. The stream washes the insects off. This is the easiest way to control mealybugs. Spray with a soap/oil mixture if the water alone doesn’t do the job. Mix 1/2 tsp. insecticidal soap, 1/4 tsp. horticultural oil, and 1 quart wat
