Dabbing Away Mealybugs

Indoor pests are well-suited to the cushy life and warm conditions of house plants, and can proliferate to the detriment of the plant, if not spotted and checked. Mealybugs are an insect of the tropics that particularly thrives in this environment. Thankfully, they’re not fast-moving critters and are easily spotted so you can gain a handle on them.

Bundi says, “They look like cottony puff in the leaf axil.”

They are oval-shaped, and can be pinkish or have a poofy white appearance. They are most likely found in clusters, and being scale insects, they also produce the sticky honeydew. Not only do they damage the plant by piercing and feeding on the plant, the honeydew promotes fungal diseases, such as sooty mold.

On outside plants, the mealybug destroyer is a type of ladybird beetle. It cleans plants of mealybugs and aphids. But, who wants to introduce beetles into the house to wage a battle royal between pests and predators?

Instead, for relatively small infestations, Marcia says, “Take a cotton swab, dip it in rubbing alcohol, touch and kill them.”

It knocks out the individual insects, but you’ll most likely need to repeat this process every week until all of them are gone. But other than the direct application, general pesticides (such as pyrethroids) or systemic chemicals offer limited relief, partly dependent on the maturity level of the mealy bugs. Chemicals are more effective if the mealybugs are young because the mature insect has a thicker, waxy coating. 

Indoor plants are not immune to pests, but as long as you keep a close eye on the overall health of your plants, along with possible uninvited guests, you can enjoy a healthy array of green the entire year.