Mealybug

Mealybugs (Pseudococcidae) are hemiptera insects that are among the main pests of garden and indoor plants. Many crops, including cacti, can suffer from them. There are over 2,000 species of scale insects in the world. Other names for the insect are "felt" or "false pillow", as well as "hairy louse". They are all based on the appearance of the pest.

Mealybug description

Mealybugs have a characteristic appearance and are quite large in size. These insects can be seen with the naked eye, but this does not always help novice gardeners recognize the threat to planting in time. But the more neglected the attack of the worms, the more difficult it will be to get rid of them.

The sizes of individuals can range from a couple of millimeters to 1 cm. Males and females differ significantly. Males resemble small winged flies. They have no mouthpieces, so they do not harm the flowers. The female differs from him in appearance. It has an oval body, covered with a waxy white coating, many small legs-threads and a long thin mustache. Insect larvae resemble a smaller copy of females.

The danger of insects for plants is that mealybugs feed on their juice. As a result, planting begins to slow down growth, and then stop it altogether. Worms can harm all parts of the plant, including the root system. Infection of one bush can quickly lead to the spread of insects to nearby specimens. In addition, a colony of worms, settling on a flower, begins to secrete a special dew or honeydew - sweetish and sticky drops. They become an excellent breeding ground for bacteria and provoke many diseases, including soot fungus. More than 300 varieties of worms live in European countries. Some of the most common are Australian, bamboo, seaside, root and bristly.

Ways to prevent the appearance

Mealybugs prefer hot (25 degrees and above) weather and high levels of humidity. In such conditions, the risk of damage to landings increases. But the best way to deal with the mealybug pest is to prevent its appearance.

• Plants should be inspected regularly. Attention should be paid not only to the outer surface of the leaf blades, but also to their seamy side, sinuses, and buds.
• Pests are attracted to dried leaves, shoots and flowers and should be removed regularly.
• Small indoor plants can be washed periodically under warm running water, wrapping the ground in a bag. The only exceptions are species with fluffy leaves.
• The watering regime plays an important role.Plantings need to be moistened regularly and moderately.
• New plants brought into the house should be kept in quarantine for some time away from other flowers. They are kept in another room, or at least at a distance. For reliability, you can treat a new bush with a dose of insecticide.

Mealybug remedies (preparations)

Most often, insecticidal preparations are used to combat mealybugs. It is advisable to spray in the fresh air. To do this, you can go outside or onto the balcony. If drugs can be used indoors, it must still be ventilated. Even chemicals of a low hazard class require the use of protective equipment. During use, be sure to follow the attached instructions. To avoid insects' addiction to poison, preparations can be alternated.

The following remedies are often used against mealybugs:

• Admiral. A composition based on pyroxifen, which has a hormonal effect on pests. After processing, adults become sterile, and the developmental stages of larvae are disrupted, leading to their death.
• Aktara. An economical product based on thiamethoxam. Works in any external conditions, does not penetrate into fruits, but only into foliage, affecting insects during feeding. The popularity of the drug is associated not only with its effectiveness, but also with the absence of a strong odor. It should not be mixed with alkaline substances.
• Actellic. Means based on pirimiphos-methyl. Poisons worms, getting into their body with plant sap. The drug is considered strong and effective, but it has a persistent pungent odor and is not suitable for prophylactic treatments.
• Apploud. Hormonal preparation based on buprofezin. Sold in powder form.
• Bankcol. Bensultap-based product. It affects insects during feeding or direct contact with the drug. Low toxicity, is not washed off by rain and works well even in the heat. But it cannot be used during flowering, and the effect only lasts about two weeks.
• Biotlin. Systemic agent based on imidacloprid. It has a quick effect and is not addictive to pests.
• Bitoxibacillin. Created on the basis of a strain of special bacteria and is considered a bio-agent that infects insects through their nutrition. It can be used at any stage of plant life, does not accumulate in its fruits and is considered safe for humans within the established consumption rates.
• Vertimek. The drug is based on abamectin. It is not toxic to plants, although it is very dangerous for bees, it has a long (about a month) effect of action.
• Dantop. The drug is in the form of granules. Synonyms - Apache, Ponche.
• Inta-vir. Contains an analogue of cypermethrin, a natural toxic substance. Not suitable for prophylactic treatments due to its high level of toxicity. You cannot use it during flowering. In addition, the substance must not enter water bodies or even the sewer system.
• Spark Double effect. Low-toxic preparation suitable for indoor plants. Includes poisons cypermethrin and permethrin, as well as anti-stress components to enhance the plant's resistance.
• Calypso. Leaf treatment agent, almost odorless. The main substance is thiacloprid. Sold in the form of emulsions or suspensions, adheres well to foliage. It can be used even at home, but always in a respirator.
• Karbofos. Maloxone based product. Resistant to high temperatures. Has an unpleasant odor. The drug should not be used during flowering, and solutions should not be stored.
• Commander. The main substance is imidacloprid. Differs in a long period of action, is not afraid of heat. It enters infected plants through roots, shoots and leaves and blocks the nervous system of insects. Treatments are carried out no more than once every 15 days. The solution cannot be stored. The best time to apply is during the growing season.
• Confidant. Created on the basis of imidacloprid. It is a concentrated emulsion that can act for about 6 weeks. An odorless composition that does not harm the green part of plants. Differs in a low consumption rate.
• Mospilan. The main substance is acetamiprid. Refers to systemic drugs, does not cause addiction in pests, is consumed in small doses and is not afraid of high temperatures. The period of action is about 3 weeks. It is considered to be of low toxicity.
• Tanrek. Means based on imidacloprid. It works for 4 weeks. Almost does not penetrate into fruits and does not have a pungent odor. It is considered stable even in soil.
• Fitoverm. Bio-agent based on aversectin, a substance synthesized from soil fungi. Differs in economical consumption, but requires frequent repetition of treatments (up to 5 per season) and is not considered ineffective in cases of severe pest infestations. It does not pollute the nature, but it reads poisonous to bees, therefore it should not be used directly during flowering.

Mealybug on houseplants

Mealybug on orchids

Despite the fact that the mealybug can live on many and very diverse plants, it is most often attracted by flowering species, including orchids and violets. Recognizing the presence of a worm is easy enough.

• The foliage of the plant has grated or the entire bush has begun to droop.
• On the green part of the bush, there is a white coating or droplets of sticky dew.
• On the bush you can see the insects themselves - white and oval.

Any of these signs should already be an alarm. The sooner you manage to start the fight with the worm, the faster you will be able to cope with it.

The affected orchid must be separated from the rest of the plants, after making sure that the pests have not yet had time to switch to them. To treat the bush, you should prepare a solution of green soap (about 2 g for half a glass of water). With the resulting mixture, wipe all the green parts of the bush using a cotton swab or soft sponge. Particular attention should be paid to internodes and areas near the petioles. It is there that mealybugs usually prefer to settle. The easiest way is to treat such hard-to-reach areas with a brush dipped in a medicinal liquid. Leaves are rubbed on both sides. After such processing, several more stages of treatment will be required. For them, you can use any homemade remedy that scares away worms. Decoctions of cyclamen or garlic are suitable, as well as tobacco infusion. Treatments are carried out three times, but between them there is a break of about 7-10 days. It is important to go through the entire cycle of treatments, even if it seems that the insects have disappeared immediately after the first wash.

Homemade products may not be able to cope with a large number of pests. In such cases, they resort to treatment with stronger insecticidal preparations. So for an orchid, Inta-vir, as well as Fitoverm and Bitoxibacillin, are well suited.

Mealybug on violets

It will be much more difficult to find a worm that has settled on violets. That is why it is the greatest danger for such flowers. In this case, the pests live underground. It will be difficult to notice them, and even more difficult to get rid of them. Improvised means in such a situation will no longer help. In order not to waste time on useless treatments, in such cases it is necessary to immediately use a systemic insecticide. One of the most suitable drugs is Actellic. For processing, 2 mg of the composition is dissolved in a liter of water. Spraying with such a solution is carried out 2 or 3 times with a break a week. They are carried out only on the street. The chemical is capable of killing insects at all stages of growth, but their eggs can survive even after such treatment.

If Actellik did not help to get rid of all the worms, you should remove the flower from the container and completely clean its roots from soil residues. After that, the plant free from the ground is completely treated with a systemic insecticide.The drug must necessarily get to the roots, stem and sinuses of the leaf plates. Particular attention is paid to the lower leaves. Only after such a procedure can the violet be transplanted into fresh soil.

Mealybug on cacti

If the cactus does not grow for a very long time, and there are no other reasons for slowing its growth, you need to carefully examine the roots of the plant. As a rule, on cacti or succulents, the worms settle either closer to the crown, or at the roots near the base and in the earthen substrate itself. Insect bites appear as reddish or brown spots. The deformed fresh leaves of such plants can also testify to the attack of pests.

The fight against mealybugs on cacti consists in three-time treatment of the aerial part of the plant with an insecticidal solution. It is carried out at intervals of 10-14 days. In addition to processing the flower itself, it is imperative to pour the solution into the ground.

Running hot (about 45-50 degrees) water will help in the fight against the worm. The plant is pulled out of the ground and thoroughly washed, manually removing pests and freeing the roots from the remnants of the earth. After such water procedures, the cactus must be completely immersed in an insecticidal solution for several hours. The plant is allowed to dry out, and then transplanted into fresh, pre-steamed or otherwise treated soil.

A small amount of bugs from cacti or succulents can be removed with the help of garlic infusion. It is applied to cotton wool and the plant is carefully treated. Of the specialized preparations, Apollo, Actellik, Decis, as well as Sherpa, Karbofos and Fufanon are considered the most effective for such colors.

Mealybug on Dracaena

Signs of mealybugs on dracaena appear as white bloom and sticky droplets on foliage and stems. In addition, the leaf blades of the diseased plant begin to wither and become covered with brown specks, and the stems may become deformed.

Especially often, pests affect dracaena, which is contained in heat and humidity. You can destroy them if you cultivate the plant itself and the soil in its pot. Fitoverm is best suited for this. A solution is prepared from it, carrying out at least 4 treatments with weekly breaks. Aktara will also be very effective. For the procedure, you will need to dilute 8 g of the product in 10 liters of water. This solution can be used to wipe foliage. The earth is spilled with a preparation in a slightly weaker concentration: 7 g per 1 bucket of water. But before such processing of all the worms visible to the eye, it is worth collecting with the help of a cotton swab dipped in soap, or simply washing them off the dracaena. In addition to the listed funds, Confidor can also be used on the bushes.

Mealybug on garden plants

Mealybugs can infect not only domestic but also garden plants. One of the most common targets of pests is grapes. At the same time, the brushes of the plant begin to fade and wither, and a plaque resembling cotton wool appears on the stems and foliage.

After the first signs of the disease, you must immediately begin to fight the worm. Literally all grape varieties are exposed to them. Despite the assurances of the sellers, modern breeding to this day has not been able to bring out a variety that has sufficient immunity to resist the worm.

The first treatment of plantings should be preventive. It is carried out at the very beginning of May: it is at this time that the pest begins the reproduction process. For this, the foliage of the grapes is treated with insecticides. Aktara, Aktellik, as well as the Golden Spark, Confidor or Mospilan will do. If the grapes have already undergone an invasion of worms, spraying will be already powerless, but regular preventive treatments will help prevent strong reproduction of insects. In this case, when they appear, it will be enough to carry out only one spraying session.

Other insects can also contribute to the spread of worms. Ants are considered especially dangerous.They can carry bugs and aphids around the area, so you should also get rid of ants.

In autumn, when the plants that have become the target of pests begin to prepare for winter, it is recommended to remove the top layer of the bark from them and burn it. Moreover, such methods of combating worms are effective not only for grapes, but also for other crops.

Folk remedies

When scale insects infect berry plantings or favorite home flowers, few decide to immediately resort to chemical treatment. To protect yourself from the effects of toxic store-bought drugs, you can first try out numerous folk ways to counteract the mealybug. As a rule, they are considered to be quite effective in the early stages of plant damage. They will also help against a small number of pests, as well as as a prophylactic agent.

• Water. The affected plant must be carefully removed from the pot, its roots must be completely cleaned of soil residues in which the worms may remain, and then completely immersed in moderately hot (about 50 degrees) water. After that, the bush is dried and transplanted into fresh clean soil.
• Soap and alcohol. Plants are treated with a soap-alcohol solution (1 g of liquid soap and 10 mg of denatured alcohol are required for 1 liter of water). To prepare the solution, you can also use ordinary laundry soap. It is rubbed on a medium grater. For 1 liter of boiled water, 1 tbsp. spoon of the resulting shavings and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of alcohol. Soap should not come into contact with the ground during processing. It should be covered with a bag. The next day after spraying with soap, the flower should be rinsed under warm water to remove the remaining solution. The processing is repeated in several stages, maintaining an interval of 3-4 days.
• Butter. 1 tablespoon of olive oil is poured into 1 liter of water. The resulting composition is applied to the foliage and stems of the plant using a sprinkler.
• Infusion of garlic. Add 4-5 well-chopped garlic cloves to 0.5 liters of boiling water. The mixture is insisted for about 5 hours, and after straining, the bushes are treated with it, applying it to a brush, cotton wool or napkin. After a few days, the treatment is repeated.
• Garlic tincture. For cooking, chopped garlic cloves are mixed with 70% alcohol in a 1: 3 ratio. The product is applied with a cotton swab.
• Horsetail tincture. The finished tincture can be found in the pharmacy: it is used as a diuretic and blood purifier. It is applied to the bush with a cotton swab.
• Infusion of calendula. Add 100 g of dried calendula flowers to 1 liter of water. The resulting mixture is insisted for at least a day, filtered and wiped with the affected areas.
• Citrus infusion. To 1 liter of warm water add 50 g of the peel of any fragrant citrus (orange, lemon, etc.). The infusion is kept for about a day, and after straining, the aerial part of the plant is sprayed with it.

If the lesions become too severe, folk remedies are unlikely to be able to help get rid of the worm. In this case, you should not waste time in vain and treat the plantings with an appropriate chemical as soon as possible, otherwise the affected plants can be lost.

Mealybug species

Bristly mealybug (Pseudococcus longispinus)

The main harm to plantings is caused by the larvae or females of such worms. In length, the female Pseudococcus longispinus can reach about 3-4 mm. It has an oval, slightly elongated body of pinkish or orange color, covered with a white powder-coating, as well as wax, reminiscent of cotton wool. Thanks to the developed legs, such individuals can move quickly and easily move from one bush to another.

Usually, such pests accumulate on the seamy side of the leaf plates, in the axils, on the stems of the plant. They can often be found on the tops of young shoots. Due to the large enough size of the insects, it is quite easy to notice them. Foliage affected by pests turns yellow and dries up.In addition, they affect the overall growth rate of the bush and interfere with the development of new shoots. In addition to the harm caused by feeding on plant sap, worms leave secretions on the surface of leaves and stems, which can become a breeding ground for sooty fungus.

This type of worm can also infect bulbous plants. They can hide under the scales of the bulbs. In citrus fruits, pests can hide under the bark.

Grape mealybug (Pseudococcus citri)

Adult females of Pseudococcus citri are yellow or pinkish in color. On the surface of their bodies there is a characteristic plaque in the form of a light powder. Such insects have an oval shape, wider than that of the previous species. Females' legs are also quite developed. The number of females greatly exceeds the number of males. Pest larvae can spread throughout the affected bush. They can usually be found on stems or leaves along the main veins.

When a significant number of insects appear, the plants quickly die, turning yellow and drying out. Sticky secretions from pests contribute to additional infections.

Seaside mealybug (Pseudococcus affinis)

The most common type of worm. Females of Pseudococcus affinis have a long oval body, approximately 3-4 mm long and 2-3 mm wide. Their color is grayish-pink, with a white coating of a mealy structure. Females' legs are well developed. Males are much smaller and have wings. They can fly throughout the summer.

Before the start of reproduction, females look for the most secluded corners on the plant: twisted leaves, cracks on the surface of the bark, internodes and forks of shoots. Their eggs are stored in fluffy, shapeless, white, waxy cobweb bags. The larvae are quite mobile, they are colored yellow, and there is still no plaque on them during this period. They move only in search of places for feeding. Such a larva turns into an adult in about 1-1.5 months. All this time, they feed on the juices of the plant, inhibiting its growth and gradually depleting it.

Worms of this species very quickly spread throughout the affected bush and can be transferred to neighboring ones both independently and with the help of gusts of wind. Infected plants do not bloom, and the foliage on them begins to turn yellow and fall off. Pest excretion also contributes to the spread of infectious diseases, including black fungus.