Preventing and combating mealybugs
Found small insects with a white powdery layer on woody and green plant parts? Mealybugs are probably the cause. We will be pleased to give you tips on how to get rid of these pests.
How do you recognise mealybugs?
Mealybugs are insects powdered with white wax that lay oval-shaped eggs on plants. The animals look a bit like woodlice and are about 0.3 to 0.6 cm long. By sucking them up, the plant will gradually weaken. In contrast to the grey woodlouse, an adult white mealybug is only about 0.3 to 0.6 cm long. During its stay on plants, the mealybug secretes a substance called honeydew, on which sooty mould develops. This makes the plant look less attractive and it will deteriorate more and more.
A pest among host plants
Mealybugs can be a real plague on garden plants as well as houseplants. They are often seen on houseplants such as bromeliads, orchids, cyclamen, cacti, croton, Cape pansy, crassula and St. Joseph’s plant. In the garden, they are often found on plants such as passion flowers, hibiscus, ferns, grapes, bamboo, olive trees and citrus trees.
