PestmediumJan–Dec

Mealybugs

Pseudococcus spp.

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How to spot it

Mealybugs (Pseudococcus spp.) are small, sap sucking insects that camouflage themselves with a cottony layer of wax and prefer to sit in leaf axils, at shoot tips and along the leaf veins. They suck plant sap and excrete sticky honeydew, on which black sooty mould often settles. You recognise them by the white, woolly nests and by the shiny sticky film on the leaves and on the ground beneath. Container plants in their winter quarters are affected particularly often, because the dry, warm air suits the insects.

Prevention

Check container plants thoroughly for infestation before moving them into their winter quarters and cut infested shoots back generously. A cool, bright spot with good air circulation in the winter quarters makes life much harder for the insects than warm, stuffy corners. Individual nests can be wiped off with a cotton bud or cloth soaked in water; where the infestation is stronger, a strong jet of water helps. Beneficials such as the Australian ladybird Cryptolaemus montrouzieri or parasitic wasps can be introduced deliberately in the greenhouse, and moderate nitrogen feeding keeps the plant tissue firmer and therefore less attractive to the insects.