Mealybugs are soft-bodied insects that protect themselves with a cottony coating. They are garden pests in the south, and houseplant pests up north. They're very active as youngsters, but settle down to eat when they grow up.
That white, cottony stuff you see on your plants is telling you one thing: You have mealybugs. Mealybugs cover themselves in undigested sap, or honeydew, which they suck out of your favorite plants. The cottony coating protects them against predators and many bug sprays, but you can outsmart them. Here's how:
That cottony coating is good protection against many sprays. There are two ways to get around it. One is to use a systemic bug control. It's absorbed by the plant and kills the bugs when they eat. Another way is to smother them with an oil spray, such as Ortho® Volck® Oil Spray. On fruit and vegetable plants, as well as flowers and ornamentals, you can control mealybugs with Ortho® Elementals™ Insecticidal Soap up to the day of harvest. Ortho® Elementals™ Garden Insect Killer kills mealybugs on flowers, vegetables, small fruits, citrus, and roses.
If mealybugs come back, reapply your treatment. Consistent application will beat them, even if it takes a little time.
Mealybugs are soft-bodied insects that protect themselves with a cottony coating. They are garden pests in the south, and houseplant pests up north. They're very active as youngsters, but settle down to eat when they grow up.
