Is That Cotton Sticking To Your Plants?
- Mike Balas
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Mealybugs look like tufts of cotton sticking to your plants, but they're not as harmless as cotton balls.
Mealybugs are common across Virginia and a real problem for vineyards. Unfortunately, they don't stick to just grapes- they'll find a nice home in your yard as well.
What Does A Mealybug Look Like?
Mealybugs are tiny. They only get up to a 1/5 of an inch and are usually even smaller than that. They move slowly and while they're actually pink or yellow, they look like little moving whisps of white cotton. While they look fuzzy and white, the look actually comes from a waxy powder they cover themselves in for safety. It is their armor against the sun, extreme heat, predators, water and bug spray. They also use it to protect their egg sacs.
A full life cycle only takes about 2-2.5 months, which means many generations can occur each year. Additionally, the females lay 300-600 eggs, so mealybugs can become a big problem really fast. They thrive in warm, humid environments so Virginia is a good place for them to populate. They spread between close growing plants by crawling, they can be carried by the wind, and they can be inadvertently transplanted by gardeners moving current plants or planting newly purchased plants.
What Harm Does A Mealybug Cause?
Mealybugs are a sap-sucking pest, which means that they insert their mouthparts into the stem of a plant and suck out the sap. This is problematic for the plants in two respects. First, the plant itself becomes sick and can turn yellow and wilted, can lose it's leaves, and can stop growing or even die off entirely. Second, during this process, the mealybug secrete a sticky substance that promotes the growth of black mold and also attracts other destructive insects, such as ants. The culmination can lead to significant damage to garden plants.
Mealybugs are attracted to all kinds of plants. They will feast on houseplants, succulents, fruit trees, vegetable plants, ornamental and flowering plants, and even cacti. They prefer new, tender growth with soft stems. Mealybugs are also perfectly happy to live on indoor houseplants.
How Can I Protect Against Mealybugs?
If you find yourself facing a mealybug infestation, the first thing would be to physically remove the bugs and egg sacs. Use a strong stream of preferable warm water to spray off the plant, making sure to get areas under the leaves and along the main stem of the plant. For very small infestations, you can use isopropyl alcohol that is dabbed or dripped directly onto the bugs themselves. The alcohol will eat through their protective layer and kill them.
Because of the multi-generational overlap, removing the adults from the plants will not be sufficient. The plant needs to be consistently treated after the initial removal in order to break up the life cycles and keep a new generation from taking hold. For small infestations, especially on indoor plants, you can use a pre-made or DIY (this is a pretty easy thing to mix up!) insecticidal soap to thoroughly and regularly rinse the plant. For larger infestations or outdoor plants, a insecticide is a very effective tool to deal with mealybug infestations.
If you find yourself dealing with a pest problem and you'd like some support, advice, or questions answered, we're always here to help. Call us today!
To learn about more local Virginia pests, check out our pest library and our other blog posts