Mealybug on indoor plants

Who are worms?

The scale insect is a pest that feeds on plant sap and is a relative of scale insects. Insects are covered with a protective waxy coating and villi (clearly visible in the photo), which makes it difficult to control them.

Body length ranges from 3 to 12 mm, depending on the species. Males are much smaller than females, have wings, and resemble small white midges. Due to the lack of oral apparatus, they do not need food, and their lifespan is not long.

Females usually live in colonies, on different parts of the plant; They are characterized by an asexual method of reproduction - parthenogenesis.

Preventive measures

Massive damage is observed on plants with weakened immunity and kept in unfavorable conditions. Therefore, the main measure to prevent pest infection is compliance with the rules of agricultural technology.

The following measures help to prevent the proliferation of the pest in a timely manner:

compliance with watering standards;
regular ventilation of greenhouses;

removal of dried leaves and shoots;
regular feeding.

What means do you use to combat mealybugs?

ChemicalFolk

Many garden owners mistake the initial stages of mealybug infestation for the growth of fungus or mold. The fight against the pest begins late and allows its excessive reproduction. As a result, plants weaken and sometimes die. To prevent crop loss, it is worth following agricultural standards, carefully inspecting plantings and applying protective agents at the first signs of insects appearing on plants.

How do worms harm plants?

Insects cause great harm, leading pets to death. They prefer plants with large leaves, such as palm trees, ficus, orchids, laurel, and ferns. They settle on the reverse side of the leaf, in the area of large veins and stems.

Mealybugs on indoor flowers suck out the juice, weakening them. Some species attack the roots.
During their life, they secrete a sweet, sticky secretion that attracts ants and also contributes to sooty fungus and mold.
Saliva contains phytotoxic enzymes that cause plant poisoning.

Developmental cycle of mealybugs

Egg. Females lay eggs in a felt cocoon. Some species are viviparous - producing live larvae.
The larvae move quickly, conquering new spaces; they are called “vagrants”. In some species, they are inactive. There is no gender distribution.
Imago. After molting, strays become adults, females and males.

Description of appearance and features

The feltworm, or mealybug, belongs to the order Hemiptera, the number of which in nature exceeds 2200 species. A small sucking insect is visible on the plant with the naked eye. Scale insects reach a length of 2.5 to 6 mm, in rare cases - 10 mm.

The body of the pest is oval in shape and covered with wax in powder form. To lay eggs, the female wraps herself in a cotton wool-shaped egg sac, where she hatches her offspring. Some varieties of scale insects are viviparous, while others hatch from eggs in 5–10 days. Males do not have mouthparts because they do not feed.

Pests are characterized by high fertility and speed of movement. In one calendar year they produce up to four generations of their own kind. The colony quickly moves throughout the plant, capturing all its parts. May infect other indoor flowers.

When a mealybug larva lands on leaves, shoots or flower buds, it stops moving. During this period, molting begins. After the process is completed, she again looks for a new place to attach herself.

On a note! The mealybug is a dangerous pest that sucks nutritious juices from plant parts. Because of its white, furry, cotton-like discharge, it is also called hair louse.

Types: description and photo, what it looks like

Various types of mealybugs can infect indoor plants. The most common ones are:

Citrus

The length of the oval body is up to 5 mm, pink in color. Males are small, up to 1 mm, and have wings. They get along well with ants and feed on plant sap.

Grape

The yellowish female lays eggs, from which larvae subsequently hatch. The peculiarity of the pest is that, when sucking out the juice, it leaves sugary excrement. It affects not only grapes, but also greenhouse plants, citrus fruits, and flower crops.

Bristly

It is smaller in size than the seaside mealybug (up to 3 mm in length). The female gives birth to live larvae. They gather in large colonies. They hide in hard-to-reach places; for example, they can live on a root bulb, hiding under its scales.

Seaside

Males are smaller in size than females. They move quickly around the plant, but do no harm. The body of the female is up to 4 mm in length. Lays eggs throughout its life. Hides them in hard-to-reach places on the plant, for example, in the axils of leaves, in cracks in the trunk, between shoots. The larva is yellow in color, without a white furry coating. A month after hatching from the egg, it fully feeds on juice.

Root

An adult reaches a length of no more than 1.5–2.5 mm. This size makes it hardly noticeable to the naked eye. Females and larvae live in the ground. They feed on plant roots. Eggs are laid next to the roots, in a void in the soil, above the surface in a pot. They can be detected by their characteristic hairiness, reminiscent of mold.

Signs of insect damage to indoor plants

At the initial stage of the disease, insects are difficult to detect, as they hide in the axils of the leaves.

Felt coating

A white coating appears on the stems and leaves of flowers, resembling cotton wool sprinkled with flour. These are cobwebs and wax dust secreted by females.

Sticky leaves

In the process of life, a sweet secret is released - honeydew, which is attractive to ants and moldy fungi. Leaves sticky marks on the pot, windowsill, window glass.

White lumps on roots

This sign can only be detected during transplantation. White lumps will be visible among the roots and soil. They can be confused with root aphids.

drooping look

A drooping appearance of the plant may be the only symptom of rootworm infestation.

How to deal with mealybugs

Treatment must be carried out comprehensively, using several methods. Good results are obtained with chemicals in combination with a mechanical method of removing insects.

Mechanical method

With this method, pests are removed by mechanical means:

Cutting out severely affected leaves and branches.
Wash off insects with soapy water, using a sponge or soft brush.
Nearby surfaces should be thoroughly washed: window sills, shelves, window frames, flowerpots - they can be a source of microscopic larvae.

Chemical

Insecticides that have an intestinal and systemic mode of action are used against mealybugs. Due to the fact that insects are covered with a protective waxy coating, contact exposure has no effect.

Due to toxicity, it is advisable to use chemicals in cases of extreme necessity, if home remedies are problematic to use or do not help.

"Aktara" has an intestinal-contact, systemic spectrum of action. It affects the pest by direct contact with it, with simultaneous penetration inside through the oral apparatus. When applied to the soil, it is well absorbed by the roots, making plant juices toxic to parasites.
"Aktelik" has a wide spectrum of action, systemic and contact. Treatment is carried out by spraying.
“Bi-58 new”, systemic-contact mode of action. Affects any stage of insect development. The substance is quickly absorbed by the plant, the death of pests occurs within 24 hours. Highly effective against insects that parasitize roots.
“Golden Spark” – works systemically, has a long-lasting effect, up to 2 months.

Important: treatment with pesticides is carried out using personal protective equipment.

Biological insecticides

Biological preparations such as Fitoverm do not have a systemic effect, therefore they are not effective against scale insects.

What to do: methods of struggle

The fight against mealybugs involves two stages: cleansing and chemical treatment.

Cleansing. What to do:

Clean the leaves of the plant from cotton wool.
They do this with a soap solution, wiping the green parts and shoots with a soft brush.
Plants that can be irrigated are washed in the shower.
It is important to replace at least the top portion of the soil.
Severely damaged branches and shoots are cut off.

Chemicals. Necessary for extensive infestations and complement “mechanical” destruction. The most effective insecticides in the fight against mealybugs are insecticides and acaricides.

Larvicides are drugs that only affect larvae.
Ovicides are agents that affect egg laying.
Repellents are deterrents.

Important! The most effective remedies are against both imago (adult insects) and larvae and eggs.

What to do, what means to use? Complex ones are best. And - depending on the degree of damage to plants. It is important to consider the appropriateness of use, comparing the toxicity of the drug and the damage caused by the insect.

Treatments are carried out in open space. It is advisable to leave the pots outside, on the balcony for a couple of days.
The event is repeated according to the instructions to get rid of all generations of the malware.

Let us remind you: all drugs can be divided into means of contact, intestinal, and complex effects. What does it mean?

To reveal the effect of the former (contact action), the drug must come directly onto the insect or be in close proximity to it. This is a group of pyrethrins, pyrethroids, phosphorus, sulfur, and chlorine compounds.
Intestinal agents - the active substance must be eaten by an insect, and blocks the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, etc., having a nerve-paralytic, toxic effect. Most often these are magnesium, barium, calcium arsenates (arsenic compounds), fluorides, metal fluorides, substances irgan, mitin, etc.
Systemic - penetrate into plant tissues, then, when absorbed during feeding, along with tissue juice, poison insects. These are phosphamides, neonicotinoids, methylmercamptophos, etc.
Complex - combines all qualities.

Chemicals: modern drugs

Aktara from mealybug. Enteric contact agent, main d.v. Thiamethoxicam. Manufacturer Sengenta, Switzerland. Release form: suspension, concentrate, granules.
Actellik. FOS compound (emulsion), enteric contact action, d.v. pirimiphos-methyl. Manufacturer Sengenta.
Calypso. Bayer (Germany), enteric contact, systemic action, d.v. thiacloprid, concentrated suspension.
Confidor. Bayer (Germany), d.v. imidacloprid, enteric and systemic drug for combating mealybugs, water-soluble concentrate in ampoules, canisters.
Tanrek. Russia, CJSC "August". Systemic remedy against insects of contact action, d.v. imidaclopromide. Water-soluble concentrate in ampoules, canisters, bottles.
Bankol. Enteric contact agent, d.v. bensultap. Tablets, yellowish powder. Manufacturer Sumitomo Chemical Co, Japan.
Mospilan. Systemic remedy for scale insects and the widest group of insects with enteric contact action, d.v. acatamiprid. Manufacturer Nippon Soda, Japan.
Phytofarm. Biological enteric-contact insectoacaricide, d.v. aversectin. Emulsion concentrate in ampoules, canisters. Produced by Pharmbiomed, Russia.
Biotlin. Systemic drug, including imidaclopromide. Russia, CJSC "August". Release form: liquid in bottles, ampoules.
Intra-vir. Enteric-contact insecticide against scale insects on flowers based on cypermethrin. Produced in Russia (Fasco) - tablets, water-soluble powder.

To get rid of mealybugs on indoor plants, Iskra Zolotaya or Double Effect, Vertimek, Bitoxibacillin, Dantop and others are also used.

For control of succulents and cacti, insecticides Decis, Karbofos, Actellik, Fufanon, Sherpa, etc., and any imadoclopramide-based products are good.

For example: how to get rid of mealybugs on plants and with what.

Confidor: 5 l of water + 2 ml of product - spraying, for watering 2.5 l of water + 2 ml of product;
Aktara for mealybug: 5 liters of water + 4 g of product (watering, spraying);
Tanrek: for watering 5 l of water + 3 g of product, for spraying 1.5 g of product + 5 l of water;
Apaches: 2.5 l of water + 0.5 g (package) – spraying, watering with 2.5 l of water + 2 ml of the drug.

Important! Cacti and succulents need not only to be sprayed, but also to lubricate relatively hard-to-reach places with a cotton swab.

But active wetting of these indoor plants is harmful - just like a shower!

Very important. To get rid of mealybugs for sure and quickly, treatment is carried out before oviposition - until the beginning of May.

Home Remedies

Effective in small distributions, when detecting single individuals. This is treatment with a soap solution followed by treatment with calendula infusion and tobacco infusion.

Infusion of onion peel. A brown infusion is prepared (onion skins are boiled and infused), the cooled liquid is sprayed on the plants repeatedly, and the light brown solution is poured onto the soil.

Horsetail Pharmaceutical tincture diluted 1:3, 1:5 repels the pest.

Alcohol + soap (for plants with leathery leaves). How to prepare: 1 liter of water + 20 g of soap + 20 ml of alcohol.

Garlic, onion. Essentially attractants: the infusion repels insects. How to prepare: chopped head of garlic (onion) + 1 liter of boiling water, boil for 2-5 minutes. Leave for 12-20 hours, filter, spray on plants and flowers.

Tincture of calendula. For 1 liter of water – 100 g of dried flowers, boil, then leave for a day. Wipe the leaves; if they are leathery or dense, lightly spray them.

How to get rid of mealybugs without using chemicals

Chemicals are far from safe, especially when used in an apartment. Immediately after detecting a pest, you can use folk remedies.

Green soap

Environmentally friendly product. Soap foam is applied to open, visible areas. After 2 – 3 hours, after treatment, it should be washed off.

Tobacco infusion

Shag, raw materials or tobacco dust, in the amount of 80 grams, pour 1 liter of warm water, leave for a day.
Then the resulting infusion is filtered and brought to its original volume.
Treatment is carried out by spraying or washing.

Prevention measures

Mealybugs are quite difficult to exterminate, severely depleting plants. Therefore, it is much more effective to prevent their occurrence.

Compliance with the rules of care is the most important preventive measure, since pests, as a rule, attack weakened plants.
Regular examination of “pets” will help to recognize infection at an early stage.
Before you bring a new plant into your home, you need to inspect it carefully.
Quarantine for newly acquired pets is at least 30 days.
Soil disinfection.
Thorough disinfection of pots after diseased flowers.

In order to fight a pest, you should know its preferences and biological characteristics. Eliminating conditions favorable for parasites is the main task of preventing infection.

Reasons for appearance

A dangerous parasite enters a home with contaminated soil or seedlings on which scale insects have settled. It is possible for a pest to enter an apartment with a new flower purchased in a store or from hand. A careful inspection may reveal a tiny pest, dirty waxy "cotton wool" and larvae. It is no coincidence that flower growers advise carefully inspecting the plant in a flower shop so as not to accidentally introduce a dangerous parasite that is difficult to get rid of.