Getting rid of mealy bugs

Mealy bugs are insects which are covered with a white waxy powder.

They secrete honeydew that can lead to secondary disease infections such as sooty Moulds.

The shape of the aphid female is elliptical, and is covered with white wax powder, and lacks eyes and wings.

Female is about 4 mm long and about 3 mm wide.

Shape of the male is elongated, about 1 mm long.

In total the female lays tens to hundreds of eggs.

The larvae that hatch two or three days later disperse in all parts of the plant.

Generation length is 35- 76 days, depending on the temperature and species of the aphid.

The aphid settles on all parts of the plant: roots, stems, leaves and fruits.

The damage is expressed in the degeneration of the plant’s organs and in the secretion of honeydew which serves as a substrate for the development of the “soot” fungus.

The damage to the fruits is manifested in sticky fruits covered with “soot” and sometimes with the fruit contaminated with the mealybugs themselves.

The adult females survive well in the soil, even in the high summer temperatures, in the structure, on plant remains or on the roots in the soil.

It is recommended to spray against ants, as they make it easier for the aphid to move and disperse.

They are considered to be very hard to get rid of especially with organic pesticide which are good only for the larva stages and not for the mature ones.

_{Ants feeding on honeydew of mealybugs}

It is recommended to use at least 3 kinds of different pesticides, and alternate between them every 4 days, in order to overcome pest’s resistance, and completely exterminate them.

For further information about this, read this post , and this post also.

There are 3 ways to eliminate mealybugs: Chemical, organic and biologic.

Chemical:

Best pesticides for mealybugs:

These combinations are advised:

BUPROFEZINE+NEEM OIL,

BUPROFEZINE+ DINOTEFURAN

DINOTEFURAN+MINERAL OIL,

ACETAMIPRID+MINERAL OIL

Organic:

Neem Oil

A naturally occurring pesticide was found in seeds from the neem tree.

Azadirachtin is the most active component here.

It reduces insect feeding and acts as a repellent.

It also interferes with insect hormone systems, making it harder for insects to grow and lay eggs.

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Potassium salts of fatty acids (insecticidal soap)

Adding potassium hydroxide to fatty acids, extracted from palm, coconut, olive, castor, and cottonseed plants, forms this active ingredient, which penetrates and disrupts the lipoprotein matrix of the insects’ cellular membranes.

The membrane disruption leads to evacuation of cellular contents, causing the cell to dehydrate and die.

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