Control of Mealy bugs

Mealybug infestations appear on plants as tiny, soft-bodied insects surrounded by a fuzzy, white mess around the stems and leaf nodes. Mealybugs are common indoor pests. The visible mealybugs are the females. They are small (about one-tenth of an inch) insects with fringes around their bodies and, depending on the species, twin tails. Male mealybugs are tiny winged insects that are rarely seen on plants. The main species of mealybugs are longtailed mealybugs (Pseudococcus longispinus) and citrus mealybugs (Planococcus citri). Control methods for both species are similar. Mealybugs are related to scale insects. They cause damage by sucking the juice from their host plants. Like many pests, mealybugs tend to favor new growth. Over time, their damage causes the leaves to yellow and eventually drop from the plant. They can also cause fruits, vegetables, and flower buds to prematurely drop off. In a bad infestation, their waxy excretions (also known as honeydew) encourages the development of sooty mold fungus.