Mealy Bugs Treatment in the Cayman Islands

Mealybugs are major outdoor garden pests that often cause significant trouble for houseplants, too. Close relatives of scale insects, these small, soft-bodied insects get their name from the white, powdery, meal-like wax that covers adult females. Like aphids, mealybugs can reproduce without mating. Their numbers can soar if left unchecked. Some species feed on plant roots, but most mealybug damage plants above the soil line. Multiple generations of these pests occur in a single season.

Identification: Mealybug species vary considerably in size, ranging from 1/20 to 1/5 inch long. Their oval bodies, ringed with waxy filaments, have distinct parallel segments. The waxy-white, slow-moving, wingless females typically feed in large, sticky colonies. Nymphs hatch from cottony masses of yellow-orange eggs. Crawlers vary in color from whitish yellow to red until they begin excreting whitish wax.

Signs/Damage: Mealybugs weaken plants by sucking juices from plant stems and leaves. Damaged plants wilt, curl and discolor. Leaves may drop prematurely, and fruit may fail to form properly. Twigs and small branches may die back. Mealybugs excrete a sweet substance known as honeydew, which often develops into black sooty mold. Ants, which feed on honeydew, often accompany mealybug infestations.

Tips:

• Maximize the impact of mealybug treatment by starting in late spring as eggs hatch, the nymphs are most vulnerable before they develop waxy protection.
• Ants often protect mealybugs to keep the honeydew flowing. Effective control treats them as well.
• Indoor mealybug infestations can spread through houseplants quickly. To treat houseplants, take them outdoors and spray all plant parts thoroughly.
• Contact Pestkil for professional help.