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Learn how to identify , pull off , and prevent mealybug infestations on your houseplant with practical tips for espy polarity too soon and keeping plants healthy .
If you ’ve got little jumping bugs , seethese bakshish for getting rid of fungus gnats .
Hanging plant with large mealybug infestation
Dealing With Mealybugs
Mealybugs are one of the more thwarting houseplant pests — and they often seem to appear out of nowhere . At first glance , they depend like muzzy bloodless lint , but they ’re actually insects , and a stubborn one at that .
Everyone has sure microbe that give them the creepy crawlies and mealybugs are sure that for me ! The outbreak on the plants picture here is quite advanced but hopefully you could look at with yours before it gets this far .
Keep reading to acquire what mealbugs are , why they ’re a trouble , and most significantly — how to get free of them .
Hanging plant with large mealybug infestation
What Are Mealybugs?
Mealybugs are soft - bodied worm in the Pseudococcidae family , closely related to aphids . There are thousands of mintage worldwide , with many form present in your local arena — even if you never see most of them .
While some attack works roots ( African violetsare a favorite target ) , the ones that bung on the aboveground parts of houseplants are more coarse indoors .
How to Spot Them
Mealybugs usually seem asfuzzy white flakesorcottony patcheson halt and leave . You might mistake them formildewat first .
A close looking at — possibly with a magnifying glass — will bring out oval - shaped insects , often cake in waxy , white thread . Their egg masses also resemble that same livid bagatelle .
Are Mealybugs Harmful?
In small Book of Numbers , mealybugs are normally not calamitous to plant . But their feeding habits and the batch they leave behind can dampen your plant , make them look dire , and create other problem .
Here ’s what they do :
pismire often protect mealybugs because they love the honeydew .
Outdoors , natural predatory animal usually keep them in stoppage — but indoors , where there are no such helpers , mealybugs can cursorily turn a healthy plant life into something scraggly , pitiful - sounding , and coat in livid pig .
How to Get Rid of Mealybugs
Once you blemish them , act quickly . One female can lie hundreds of eggs , and population get fast .
way to Combat Mealybugs on Houseplants
There ’s no single method that ferment in every case , but here are some effective scheme you could examine :
Prevention Tips
The best defense is prevention . Here ’s how to avoid future infestations :
mealybug are persistent , but you do n’t have to dwell with them . With even monitoring and a few point treatments , you’re able to knock down their numbers and keep your houseplants healthy .
Resources
Thermometer - hygrometer(left ) andMoisture Meter(right ) | Amazon
~Melissathe Empress of Dirt ♛
