AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums About Belize Nature Mealy Bugs

I noticed some bugs on my rue plant yesterday, and after some research online, it appears that these are mealy bugs, and quite the pest. Is anyone familiar with them? What has worked for you in getting rid of this pest? I would like to figure it out before the rest of my plants are affected. Thanks!

Jennifer

Insecticidal soaps and horticultural oils work great in controlling this pest. The tricky part is mealybugs tend to hide very well where leaves attach to the stem, so make sure you get coverage there. Horticultural soaps and oils don't have systemic properties, which means when spraying, the product must come in contact with the pest. So know where your pest is on the plant.

A word of warning: You can burn leaves with horticultural soaps and oils. These products need to be applied when the air temperature is cool. Make sure your plants were watered well the day before you apply your control - never spray wilted plants. Following labeled rates also reduces the risk of leaf damage. More is not better. Also, make sure beneficial insects are not present when you spray. (Insecticides can kill the good guys, too.)
*this info was found by googleing the Mealy bug !

We have a pretty good garden going on. Maya is the gardener in the household and I've asked her advice. She does two things she says. First she tries to wash them off with water if the plant can take it. So you have to take care not to damage the plant. They will fall off. So she waits for a few days to see if they come back. If that doesn't work then she makes a solution with washing up liquid. About two teaspoons in a normal size spray bottle with water and she sprays them with that again, she waits for a couple of days to see how they react. She says, if that doesn't work, she then sprays them with water again and by then they tend to stay off. Make sure that you are pruning regularly because they like moisture and darkness, so keep the plants healthy with lots of free flowing air. Obviously if they are vegetables you can't prune, so the previous advice applies.

Thanks! I'm glad to hear this may work. I mixed up a mixture of 50% water, 50% rubbing alcohol, and a couple drops of dish washing detergent. Sprayed it all over the plant and leaves. Looks like it may have helped already. I just hope the alcohol does not damage the plant. It's curious to me that this plant got these bugs. Otherwise the plant is doing very well, growing fast, and in a drafty area, so not too much humidity. Unless the recent rain left it kind of damp.
Thanks for the help! I'll let you know if it works.

Jennifer

Quite a few years back there was a huge infestation/problem with mealy bugs and the authorities were actually going around into peoples gardens and all bush was being destroyed that showed signs of the bug. Don't know if the problem was on the cayes but they took it very seriously on the mainland.