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Mealybug is a relatively common houseplant pest that thrives in the warmth and humidity of your home. Without natural predators, it has free reign of your indoor plants. It travels between plants in close proximity at a remarkable pace, and if left untreated, can kill a houseplant within several weeks. At first, they appear like cottony piles on the undersides of leaves: some people mistake them for white lint or even molds. However, they are neither! That cottony-looking material is their residue. If you look closely – either with the naked eye or a small magnifying glass – you can see that they have segmented oval-shaped bodies, and they are almost never alone: they usually cluster in groups of an adult and its babies (and, in large infestations, several generations all at once). Some species of mealybug reproduce asexually, so one lone insect can become an infestation if left untreated!
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So how do we treat this seemingly invincible threat?!
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Mealybug is most frequently found on the new growth, along leaf veins, and hidden in joints, but they can be found anywhere on the plant. I have even found them on the sides of pots or sneaking along plant saucers! They are adept at keeping hidden until they become a problem. The trick here is to find them before they become an issue: you should always monitor your houseplants for any pests – not just mealybug, but also spider mites and aphids – because homes are the ideal spaces for houseplant pests! Check new growth and the undersides of leaves, as well as small crevices like leaf joints, and the space where new leaves unfurl.
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Prevention is key! You can always spray your brand-new plants with EndAll or insecticidal soap as a preventative measure. Any plants that have mealybugs should be completely sprayed with EndAll. The trick to EndAll working is that the surfaces of the plant should be coated in the product for it to work. The mealybug must walk through the EndAll, so a light application would be ineffective.
.png)
Separate your plants! For small infestations, separate the affected plant somewhere else. Even a room that does not have the correct lighting is better than keeping it with your healthy plants! Prevent the mealybugs from spreading by creating some distance. In some cases, several feet might be necessary.
If the infestation is quite extensive, moving the plant can cause the mealybugs to spread, so you may consider moving other plants away instead. Spray nearby plants preventatively to keep them from becoming affected.
.png)
We always recommend EndAll and diatomaceous earth as the best products for actually killing the insects. Diatomaceous earth will kill mealybugs that walk on saucers or the soil surfaces, while EndAll will kill bugs on the leaves.
One thing you can do to help weaken the mealybugs is to apply rubbing alcohol. It won’t kill the bugs, but it weakens their outer shell, which makes the EndAll more effective.
CAUTION: rubbing alcohol in high concentrations can cause damage to your plants, particularly the new growth. We advise applying rubbing alcohol sparingly, recognizing that the rubbing alcohol really should not be broadcast onto the entire plant, as this can cause further damage to the cell walls. Rubbing alcohol can be applied to crevices and hard-to-reach places with a Q-tip, but should be rinsed off within 20 to 30 minutes at most.
I have found that the best treatment is to alternate between EndAll and rubbing alcohol: every five days, I apply EndAll. Then wait five days, and then apply the rubbing alcohol. Rinse and repeat!
Note: You may have heard that other treatments might work, but let me dispel that notion: acids like vinegar or lemon juice will not kill the bugs and will just cause damage to the plant. Soaps might physically move the mealybugs but will also not kill them. The best treatment is to use a product that contains pyrethrin, which is the strongest product that can be used indoors.
.png)
Expect to use three applications of EndAll at a minimum. These means spraying the product every ten days three times. After another ten days have passed, check the plant all over for any additional signs of the insects.
You must apply EndAll a minimum of three times because of the life cycle of mealybug: adults may be killed by the first application, but often the eggs or young insects are protected by their cottony residue, each other (!), and even the layers of the plant they are hidden in. Eggs have additional protection which the pyrethrin – the active ingredient in EndAll – can’t penetrate through.
Set a note in your calendar – on your wall or on your phone! – and then stick to it! Mealybugs reproduce with consistency, so you have to beat them at their own game!
CAUTION: when it comes to pesticides, More does not mean Better! Do not apply EndAll or rubbing alcohol more often than every ten days, or else you risk causing structural damage to the plant that can cause further harm.
I know the frustration of mealybugs – perhaps more than most, as we are sworn enemies – but the key to successfully combatting them is patience and understanding how to disrupt their life cycle. It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this knowledge & join the winning side!
It is with utter disdain that I introduce my archnemesis: the mealybug. Mealybugs are scale insects that suck the sap out of leaves and stems of plants. While they try to suck the life out of me, too, I am not defeated! Read on for how to arm yourself against our mutual foe.
It is with utter disdain that I introduce my archnemesis: the mealybug. Mealybugs are scale insects that suck the sap out of leaves and stems of plants. While they try to suck the life out of me, too, I am not defeated! Read on for how to arm yourself against our mutual foe.
Mealybug is a relatively common houseplant pest that thrives in the warmth and humidity of your home. Without natural predators, it has free reign of your indoor plants. It travels between plants in close proximity at a remarkable pace, and if left untreated, can kill a houseplant within several weeks. At first, they appear like cottony piles on the undersides of leaves: some people mistake them for white lint or even molds. However, they are neither! That cottony-looking material is their residue. If you look closely – either with the naked eye or a small magnifying glass – you can see that they have segmented oval-shaped bodies, and they are almost never alone: they usually cluster in groups of an adult and its babies (and, in large infestations, several generations all at once). Some species of mealybug reproduce asexually, so one lone insect can become an infestation if left untreated!
So how do we treat this seemingly invincible threat?!
Mealybug is most frequently found on the new growth, along leaf veins, and hidden in joints, but they can be found anywhere on the plant. I have even found them on the sides of pots or sneaking along plant saucers! They are adept at keeping hidden until they become a problem. The trick here is to find them before they become an issue: you should always monitor your houseplants for any pests – not just mealybug, but also spider mites and aphids – because homes are the ideal spaces for houseplant pests! Check new growth and the undersides of leaves, as well as small crevices like leaf joints, and the space where new leaves unfurl.
Prevention is key! You can always spray your brand-new plants with EndAll or insecticidal soap as a preventative measure. Any plants that have mealybugs should be completely sprayed with EndAll. The trick to EndAll working is that the surfaces of the plant should be coated in the product for it to work. The mealybug must walk through the EndAll, so a light application would be ineffective.
Separate your plants! For small infestations, separate the affected plant somewhere else. Even a room that does not have the correct lighting is better than keeping it with your healthy plants! Prevent the mealybugs from spreading by creating some distance. In some cases, several feet might be necessary.
If the infestation is quite extensive, moving the plant can cause the mealybugs to spread, so you may consider moving other plants away instead. Spray nearby plants preventatively to keep them from becoming affected.
We always recommend EndAll and diatomaceous earth as the best products for actually killing the insects. Diatomaceous earth will kill mealybugs that walk on saucers or the soil surfaces, while EndAll will kill bugs on the leaves.
One thing you can do to help weaken the mealybugs is to apply rubbing alcohol. It won’t kill the bugs, but it weakens their outer shell, which makes the EndAll more effective.
CAUTION: rubbing alcohol in high concentrations can cause damage to your plants, particularly the new growth. We advise applying rubbing alcohol sparingly, recognizing that the rubbing alcohol really should not be broadcast onto the entire plant, as this can cause further damage to the cell walls. Rubbing alcohol can be applied to crevices and hard-to-reach places with a Q-tip, but should be rinsed off within 20 to 30 minutes at most.
I have found that the best treatment is to alternate between EndAll and rubbing alcohol: every five days, I apply EndAll. Then wait five days, and then apply the rubbing alcohol. Rinse and repeat!
Note: You may have heard that other treatments might work, but let me dispel that notion: acids like vinegar or lemon juice will not kill the bugs and will just cause damage to the plant. Soaps might physically move the mealybugs but will also not kill them. The best treatment is to use a product that contains pyrethrin, which is the strongest product that can be used indoors.
Expect to use three applications of EndAll at a minimum. These means spraying the product every ten days three times. After another ten days have passed, check the plant all over for any additional signs of the insects.
You must apply EndAll a minimum of three times because of the life cycle of mealybug: adults may be killed by the first application, but often the eggs or young insects are protected by their cottony residue, each other (!), and even the layers of the plant they are hidden in. Eggs have additional protection which the pyrethrin – the active ingredient in EndAll – can’t penetrate through.
Set a note in your calendar – on your wall or on your phone! – and then stick to it! Mealybugs reproduce with consistency, so you have to beat them at their own game!
CAUTION: when it comes to pesticides, More does not mean Better! Do not apply EndAll or rubbing alcohol more often than every ten days, or else you risk causing structural damage to the plant that can cause further harm.
I know the frustration of mealybugs – perhaps more than most, as we are sworn enemies – but the key to successfully combatting them is patience and understanding how to disrupt their life cycle. It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this knowledge & join the winning side!
Mealybug Management
It is with utter disdain that I introduce my archnemesis: the mealybug. Mealybugs are scale insects that suck the sap out of leaves and stems of plants. While they try to suck the life out of me, too, I am not defeated! Read on for how to arm yourself against our mutual foe.
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