How to Easily Get Rid of Mealybugs on my Jade Plants? [Complete Handy Guide 2021]


Some weird white things has seized control over your jade plant. It’s all over, but when you look closer..

..you understand that it’s nothing like cotton or white stain…

…Weird waxy pink bugs have seized and they’ve planted their eggs all over your jade plant..

They have taken your beloved jade plant as home..

In this complete guide 2021..

..you will learn all things about how to dispose of mealybugs..

In the event that you don’t stop these bugs..

..they’ll remain to raise and lay eggs..

Until an ever-increasing number of mealybugs are completely feeding off your jade plant..

That is definitely the worst nightmare for all jade plants owner..

Of course..

..your plant doesn’t need to dried up before your eyes..

That’s why this article is exclusively made for you..

There are steps you can take to dispose of these infectious pest..

To fulfill your curiosity..

..we will learn everything about mealybugs..

Moreover..

..how to get rid of mealybugs on your jade plants..

Or..

..maybe just in case before this terrible thing happens to all of us..

Let’s us first take a look on Andy’s story!

I’m just started take care of plants around 3 months..

One day after i came home from vacation..

I noticed there is some white things like cotton swab undersides of leaves my jade plant..

..from afar it’s looked like white stains.

I decided just to water the jade plant after few days it’s all over my jade plant..

I don’t know what is it or what to do about it..


What are Mealybugs?

Mealybugs
Credit: organicgardeningnewsandinfo.com

Mealybugs are bugs in the family Pseudococcidae..

..unarmored scale bugs found in humid..

..and warm environments..

Numerous species are viewed as pests..

..as they feed on plant fluid of house plants..

..greenhouse plants, and subtropical trees..

additionally it also become the cause of a few plant illnesses.

“Mealybugs pierce succulent plant tissues and extract the sap causing leaves to turn yellow, wilt, and drop. Severe infestations can result in stunted or distorted growth and eventually plant death. Like many other sap-sucking insects, mealybugs excrete a sticky substance known as honeydew that can facilitate the development of harmful sooty mold fungi. “

THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SCIENCES


The Difference Between male & female mealybugs

Mealybugs
Adult Female Vs Adult Male
Credit: stock.adobe.com/

The majority mealybug species have projections..

Because of that..

it seems like they have twofold legs..

..similar to an visual illusion..

It can befuddle many people..

..when they are attempting to check whether their plant has these pest..

Male mealybugs are more oval and they do have wings..

They additionally have pair of long filaments..

But here’s the kicker

It’s uncommon to see male mealybugs on a plant..

Their sole intention is to breed with the female mealybugs..

Also..

they don’t live for long..

They just live for around 3 days..

Female mealybugs are round and more bigger than male..

On the other hand

..they don’t have wings like their male species..

The Female develop to be around 1/16 inch long..

There are 275 various mealybug species in the United States..

The most well-known species is the citrus mealybug..

..a.k.a Planococcus citri..

They’re also the most frequent bugs found in home & garden plants..

These bugs favorite kinds of plants are succulents..


How Mealybugs Reproduce?

Mealybug
The development of a Mealybug
Copyright: PIRSA
Credit: ukhouseplants.com

The majority mealybug species lay eggs to reproduce..

Here’s the interesting part

..we can know the difference various species from the egg sizes

These eggs are mostly shrouded in that cotton-like matter you see on the bugs..

For instance..

..female citrus mealybugs can produce up to 600 yellow eggs..

These eggs are around 1/100 of an inch in size..

They’re hard to see without any helping tools..

The female twirls the fluffy material all over the eggs for safeguard..

They’re attempting to conceal the eggs from any predators..

Five days after the female mealybug produce the eggs

..the female will perish.

It gets worse

Seven to fourteen days after the mealybug produce the eggs..

..the eggs become nymphs or crawlers..

The new crawlers and nymphs proceed onward to small spaces to eat the plant juice..

They burrow into the plant..

During this stage..

..they will not leave their feeding of zone..

They take 28 to 56 days to develop into its grown-up bugs..

In the event that they go a full day without eating..

..they will definitely die..

They’re truly defenseless at this state..

In a year..

..mealybugs will go through two to five generations..

That is a ton of mealybugs searching for food..

The other species of mealybugs..

such as the long-tailed mealybug..

..alias Pseudococcus longispinus..

..doesn’t produce eggs at all..

On the other Hand

the eggs hatch immediately when they’re laid by the female longtailed mealybug..

Then they release the crawlers..

Following five days..

..the longtailed females will perish too..

Other species can reproduce asexually..

They needn’t bother with another mealybug to make and lay eggs..


How Mealybugs Invade Your Plant

Various types of mealybugs invade your plant in an different area..

On the other hand..

..they all share two similarity..

First of all..

..they feed in groups..

They’ll invade to one spot and stay there..

Different bugs take action accordingly..

This makes a group of bugs, making them obvious to spot..

Another one is..

..all mealybugs suck the liquid out of plants..

The liquid that travels through your plant by riding on xylem cells..

..and also rides inside phloem sieve tube elements  as it’s shipped around..

Fluid inside xylem cells is the water and hydration your roots absorbed..

Is like our blood caries all the nutrient we need..

Keep reading

Without the supplements in the liquid..

..your plant can’t start its photosynthesis process..

Most of the mealybug species feed off the sap from stem tips..

..and from where the leaves attach with the stems..

They’ll additionally get new food from any new development in or around your plants..

At the point when the bugs feed off these parts of the plant..

..there are consequences..

This includes hindered growth..

Furthermore..

..the leaves with become yellow or wither..

Why is this important

At the point when mealybugs take an excessive amount of fluid from your houseplant..

..your plant will wither away..

Mealybugs also release wax and honeydew on your plant..

This can create a gross dark and dirty mold that begins to develop on it..

The mold will not murder your plant yet..

..but it’ll make it unhealthy..

The citrus mealybug is the most exceedingly awful species..

This is crazy

While eating..

..these mealybugs infuse a poison into a plant..

The poison usually damaged houseplants..

Different mealybugs eat of the plant’s roots instead..

These mealybugs refuge in the dirt and feed off the root hairs.

This causes hindered growth as well as yellow or wither leaves..

If there are only a small number of mealybugs..

it will not damage your plant.

It’s the point at which they begin to breed

..and dropping eggs that you should fear..

In any case..

..you need to exterminate the mealybugs immediately..


How to Prevent Mealybugs?

Prevent first is always the best choice you got..

we all know..

..sometimes..

..you can’t prevent everything..

but at least we can try!

First of all..

we should inspect our new plant before bringing it into our garden

..and put beside other plants..

whats the bottom line?

Just to be safe..

it’s better to quarantine the new one from the older plants..

So we can be sure..

there is no bugs to pass on to other plants.

For the next steps..

I’m not going to lie to you

Don’t add to much fertilize..

Fertilizers with huge amounts of nitrogen can create a new plant..

..which means..

a delicious food for mealybugs..

They’ll lay eggs around the new growth..

The next steps is the best way to prevent you houseplant from gettng invade by pest..

Always keep your plant healthy..

Maelybugs like to attack weak or unhealthy plants..

If you do have an invanding pest in one of your plants..

..quarantine it from your other plants to avoid spreading..

You can quarantine it in another space ..

..or on your unused garden..

As long as it’s not in the same room with the other healthy plants.


How to Get Rid of Mealybugs?

Detecting Mealybugs

Mealybugs on jade plant
Credit: gardeningknowhow.com/

Detecting mealybugs is the first steps you must do..

..before you try to get rid of mealybugs..

..you have to make sure 100% you got mealybugs on your plants..

The only way to tell if mealybugs have invade your houseplant..

..is to simpel observations..

You’ll see what looks like white stain on different parts of your houseplant..

It can also have a waxy thread looks..

The cotton-like material is easy to see..

..so you shouldn’t have to trouble to find this infestation pest..

But make sure you check the actual bug under all that fluff too..

Did you know?

There are a few other pests out there that looks like a mealybug.

These pest often hide under or even folds of leaf..

You should also examine any new growth on your plants..

However..

..it can be a bit harder to see the bugs if they feed off the roots..

This means they live below the soil..

Your plant will have yellow or wither leaves..

This can be tricky..

..because there are other infectious bugs and sickness that cause these symptoms..

You should check the bottom holes of your house plants pot..

Most of the time..

..the mealybugs under the soil will appear down there..

Or the only way to be sure..

..that you can uproot the plant to check..

This is where you’ll find this mealybugs..


Small Mealybug Infestations

Mealybugs 1
Credit: succulentsbox.com/

After you’re 100% sure your plant has mealybugs..

..you want to treat your plant immediately..

Always remember..

..that during treatment you have to take care all over the plant..

..and cranny because these bugs can be sneaky..

When you’ve notice the mealybugs before large infestation..

..they’re easy way to get rid of it..

..And there are a few things you can do this..

Now :

Your first action need a cotton swab.

..and around 70% isopropyl alcohol..

A cotton ball will work as an alternative..

You dip an end of a cotton swab with the isopropyl alcohol..

Grab the cotton and smear each mealybug you see with the isopropyl alcohol..

You don’t need to bathe your plant with the alcohol..

And if it’s possible..

..you should just smear the bugs with the alcohol and avoid the plant..

You’ll have to do this once a week..

..for a few weeks to get rid of all mealybug..

..and to clear all eggs you left behind..

If you’re wonder about the isopropyl alcohol damage the plant..

..you should try it a day before..

So you can see..

..if the leave got burnt from alcohol..

..try diluting it with warm water..

Another alternative is to spray a high-pressure water into your plant..

This will get rid most of the mealybugs out of your plant..

..so you can clean them and throw them..


Large Mealybug Infestations

Mealybugs 2
Credit: epicgardening.com/

You’re going to have a difficult time getting rid of a huge infestation of mealybugs..

..But there are ways you can take before you fully give up on your plant.

First of all..

..you can try cut back any infested branches or leaves..

Once those branches are gone..

..you can use spray method with water or isopropyl alcohol..

Throw of the branches and leaves immediately..

..because mealybugs can eat on them for awhile..

“Adult females can live from 10 to 19 days without a host plant and crawlers can continue to emerge for up to 45 days afterward. “

Casey Sclar (Executive Director of the American Public Gardens Association)

If most of your houseplant is infested..

..it’s not a method worth trying..

..or you’ll prune it down into nubs..

Insecticidal soap can be quite effective..

This soap has been used around 200 years..

..to treat bugs that infest plants..

The active element in insecticidal soap..

is potassium salt of fatty acids..

These fatty acids attack the cells inside mealybug’s body..

On the outside..

you see the mealybugs slowly die as this happens..

The soap can also suffocate the pests..

The fatty acids can also harm your plant..

The soap won’t deteriorate your plant..

To be on the safe side..

..test some tiny area or tiny leaf on your plant..

Spray that tiny area..

Let it sit for full day to see how your plant react to it..

When you spray the plant with the soap..

..make sure you get everything..

Even spray in the smallest spaces..

For the mealybug to die from insecticidal soap..

..it has to be in direct touch with it.

Check every day for mealybugs..

When they start coming back up..

..spray again and again..

Once you knock out all the eggs..

..you’ll soon getting rid of all the bugs..

“Systemic insecticides applied as a drench may not work as well as the same products applied as a spray. “

Researchers at Kansas State University (Raymond Cloyd, Nathan Herrick and Amy Raudenbush)

You can buy insecticidal soap..

but you can also create your own soap at home..

When you create your own soap..

..you will cut the maintain cost..

..and enjoy some fun..

What you need to create your own soap:

  • 1 cup of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of dish detergent (mild)
  • Distilled warm water
  • Clean spray bottle

First of all..

..you combine the olive oil and dish detergent in a bowl..

..and mix it..

Next..

..you’re going to add a cup of warm water..

for every teaspoon of your mix..

..into a clean spray bottle..

Shake the bottle to mix everything..

Once the insecticidal soap dries out..

..it’ll no longer work to kill pests..

So..

..just make enough for what you need..

otherwise..

it’ll go to waste..

It’s pretty simple and anyone can make it..

There are other insecticidal soap recipes to try ..

..if your plant is picky..

Horticultural oils is the alternative option..

you can make the horticultura oil from petroleum or vegetable oil..

They work by suffocating the bugs..

It also suffocates the eggs..

..killing them so they don’t hatch..

You make your own at home..

..like the insecticidal soap..

Here’s the interesting part..

Some people choose neem oil too..

Neem oil is made from the neem tree..

It works both as a pesticide and fungicide..

One of the key ingredients is azadirachtin..

Azadirachtin turns the oil into a toxic chemical for bugs..

This keep them from eating the plant..

..so they slowly die..

It also makes it very hard..

for the female mealybugs to lay their eggs..

This slows down the breeding..

..and the mealybug will die without any direct contact with neem oil..

The plant absorbs the oil..

..so it’s all over the plant..

You can try the chemical treatments to buy..

but they don’t work very well..

Well it’s true ?

The waxy coating of the mealybug protects it..

a few of the bugs hide in deep area..

..the pesticide won’t reach..

This should your last effort you try..

If the mealybug infestation is too large..

you might be out of luck..

In a few occasion..

..you just get rid of your plant..

You don’t have a choice..

But you should do this right away..

..so none of your other plants get infested..


Black Sooty Mold

Black sooty mold on jade plant
Credit: ask.extension.org/

As we discussed earlier..

..mealybugs can lead to black sooty mold..

The mold can make your plant unhealthy..

So..

..it’s necessary to treat the mold..

..as well as the plant..

You can use a high-pressure spray..

It will remove all the sooty loose mold and spores..

For any mold that doesn’t come off..

..you can combine distilled water and mild dish detergent..

Using a spray bottle..

..cover any area with mold with the mix..

Don’t be afraid to use the spray..

You want the areas soaked well..

After that..

..you must spray with water once more..

..to get rid of the soap mix in the plant..

The mold should come off with it..

Trim off any areas that still have mold..


Mealybugs Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the life cycle of a mealybug?

The life cycle of a mealybug is 1 month..

This is why it’s crusial to treat your plant..

..one to two times a week is enough..


Why do I have mealybugs and ants?

When mealybugs feed on a plant..

they excrete a sugary honeydew as waste..

This attracts ants..

Once you get rid of the mealybugs..

..the ants will disappear..


Can I use insecticides to get rid of mealybugs?

You can use insecticides on mealybugs..

..but it should be a last resort..

Don’t forget to using an insecticide for indoor plants..

..because of the fumes..


Is my jade plant susceptible to mealybugs?

Mealybugs love jade plants..

Keep your plant 100% healthy..

..and always watch for any change on it..

..to prevent these pest..


Sum Up

A mealybug infestation is nasty..

..and something now plant parent wants to deal with..

Once you spot them..

the purpose is to get rid of mealybugs at early stage..

..so the infestation doesn’t get bigger..

..and spread to other plants..

The best way to avoid mealybugs..

is to check on your plants often..

..and observe if you spot any white stains or small insects..


Conclusion

With these complete handy guide 2021..

you have all the necessary actions..

..along with the informations about how to get rid of mealybugs..

Let us know what your best ways to get rid of mealybugs in the comments.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

There are still many recent and interesting articles about Jade Plants..

..as well as other unique information from All Things Gardener..

For further information and other inquiries..

..you can contact us here


More Articles For You To Read!

https://allthingsgardener.com/when-to-repotting-snake-plant/
https://allthingsgardener.com/7-superb-jade-plant-benefits-that-you-need-to-know-2021/
https://allthingsgardener.com/4-superb-guides-to-avoid-overwatered-jade/
https://allthingsgardener.com/5-super-tips-and-common-jade-problems-that-usually-faced/
https://allthingsgardener.com/4-super-guides-to-choose-good-potting-for-jade-plant-2021/

Was this helpful?

Yes
No
Thanks for your feedback!