Mealy Bugs On Jade Plant!
IN THIS ARTICLE:
The most common jade plant pest is the mealybug, Mealybugs form white cottony patches…
…where leaves attach to stems.
Their mouth parts penetrate plant tissue and they feed upon the sap.
As they feed, mealybugs secrete a sticky substance known as honeydew.
These sticky honeydew droplets serve as a perfect home for the spores of the sooty mold fungal disease.
In addition to the sap loss caused by a mealybug infestation the jade plants often get a sooty mold infection..
Interesting right?
Mealybugs and other jade plant pests can be hard to control because…
…they can be very sensitive to horticultural soaps and oils.
It is possible that these insecticides will cause too much damage to the succulent leaves…
…resulting in even greater damage.
In its place, it is recommended that mealybug on jade plants be removed with cotton balls or Q-tips soaked in rubbing alcohol.
Here’s the story of Jamal taking care of his snake plant from mealy bugs.
Here’s the story of Jamal’s Story
I was so angry when I found out my snake plant got mealy bugs.
The plant had a single stem with clumps of leaves and the occasional cone-shaped flower.
It had always been healthy but now it’s just an ugly mess of brown spots on the leaves and weird white worms…
…crawling all over its green surface.
My parents don’t have any idea what to do about it either which is really frustrating….
…because normally they are good at this kind of stuff.
“Maybe we should get rid of it?” my mom asks, as she picks up a bag from the store…
that says “Mealy Bug Destroyer” on it. “No,” I say quickly before my dad can even answer…
After that I am searching all of the method in internet, and finally I found the method in…
….Allthingsgardener.com. It’s really help me to get rid this annoying bugs. Now my jade is good to grow…
and healthier than before! Im so proud of my self about this
Mealy Bugs
In greenhouses, gardens, and on indoor plants these plant-sucking pests are a common…
…problem.
Here’s how to use beneficial insects nsecticidal soaps and other natural methods to control mealybugs.
Mealybugs are soft-bodied wingless insects that appear as white cottony masses on the leaves, stems, and fruit of plants in warmer growing climates.
Keep going….
They feed by piercing plants with long sucking mouthparts called stylets…
…and sucking sap from the tissue.
At low pest levels damage is rarely significant.
However, as the plant weakens higher numbers can cause leaf yellowing and curling.
Honeydew is commonly used to feed the plant which makes it sticky…
…and encourages the growth of sooty moulds.
Mealybugs are a common greenhouse pest that wreak havoc on ornamentals houseplants, avocados, and fruit.
Description of Mealy Bugs
Mealybugs are soft oval, flat, and segmented with a white mealy wax, that extends…
…into spines (filaments) along the body margin and posterior end.
The waxy filament of the different species differ primarily in thickness and length.
The most common species the citrus mealybug has a pinkish body that is visible through…
…the powdery wax.
At the back end the filaments around the margins are not noticeably longer.
In the San Joaquin Valley the Comstock mealybug prefers lemons and has a thicker wax cover than the citrus mealybug.
It also has two spines at the back that run about a quarter of the length of the body.
Go on…
The other two mealybug species are rarely a problem, in citrus because parasites…
…keep their numbers low. Female mealybugs lay hundreds of eggs on leaves, fruit, and twigs…
…with some species laying eggs in cottony egg sacs.
Nymphs are light yellow and wax-free when they first hatch, but they soon begin to excrete a waxy cover.
Every year there are two to three overlapping generations.
Mealybugs are commonly found between grapefruit clusters especially in ant-tended groves.
Light infestations are easily overlooked because they hide in crevices.
Damage
Mealybugs extract plant sap reducing tree vigor and excrete honeydew…
…which coats plant surfaces and serves as a breeding ground for sooty mold.
Fruit drop can occur if a cluster of mealybugs feeds along a fruit stem.
Mealybugs feed on oranges causing them to develop hard lumps resulting in discolored and low-quality fruit.
The development of sooty mold on the fruit results in a commercial unappealing…
…appearance of the fruits necessitating vigorous scrubbing prior to packing.
The remaining mealybugs will continue to breed…
…if they are not removed from the fruit after harvest causing loss during transit and storage.
In the spring and fall the damage is the most severe.
Life Cycle
Adult females lay 300-600 eggs in an excreted compact, waxy cottony-appearing…
…mass found primarily on the undersides of leaves in these egg case can be confused with downy mildew.
The female continues to lay eggs for about two weeks before dying shortly after all of the eggs have been laid.
Within 1-3 weeks of hatching the small active yellow nymphs begin migrating across the plant…
…in search of feeding sites to settle on. As they feed, honeydew is secret and a waxy coating forms on their bodies.
Here’s the interesting part
Female nymphs go through three stages (instars) in order to reproduce, which can take…
…as little as one month depending on temperature.
Male nymphs go through five stage of development.
After the first two instars they don’t eat and exist solely to fertilize the females.
Throughout the year continuous and overlapping generations occur in the greenhouse.
In the north, outside of greenhouses there is little chance of surviving the winter.
Next one
How to Get Rid of Mealybugs on Plants
Mealybugs are a group of insects that includes hundreds of species nearly 300 of which are found in North America.
They are small oval sap-sucking insects that secrete a powdery wax substance as a protective coating…
…and range in size from 1/10 to 1/4 inch.
A steady stream of water can be used to dislodge mealybugs, if necessary repeat the treatment.
This method is best for light infestations as some plants…
….cannot withstand such a harsh treatment.
Wash Mealy Bugs Away
Mealybugs can be dislodged with a steady stream of water.
Repeat the treatment if necessary.
Because some plants cannot withstand such a harsh treatment this method is best for light infestations.
Use Isopropyl Alcohol
Using a cotton ball soaked in regular rubbing alcohol wipe the mealybugs to kill and remove them.
Test a solution containing no more than 70% isopropyl alcohol on one leaf before applying it…
…to the entire plant to ensure that the alcohol does not burn it.
Spray With Insecticidal Soap
There are insecticidal soaps on the market that can be used for Mealy Bugs such as…
,,,Safer’s Insecticidal Soap or you can make your own with a dish detergent like Ivory Liquid.
Look for a product that is free of perfumes and other additives that could harm plants.
Combine the soap and water in a weak concentration starting a 1 teaspoon/gallon…
…and increasing as necessary.
Plants should be sprayed with the soapy solution.
Use Neem Oil
The neem tree needs oil which is a natural substance.
Neem oil is also a fungicide in addition to its insecticidal properties.
It not only kills insects on contact when used as directed but it also acts as a systemic…
…pesticide because it is absorbed into the plant.
Neem oil is safe to use on vegetables and other edible plants as well as ornamentals…
…according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Introduce Predatory Insects
Mealybugs are naturally preyed upon by lace bugs, lacewings, parasitic wasp (Leptomastix dactylopii)…
…and a beetle known as the “mealybug destroyer”, (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri).
These are available from commercial online retailers and are more commonly used for outdoor infestations…
…or in greenhouse situations.
Use Homemade Insect Spray
In a food processor or blender blend together 1 garlic bulb 1 small onion, and 1 teaspoon…
…cayenne pepper to make a paste for homemade insect spray.
In 1 quart of water combine all ingredients and steep for 1 hour.
Using a cheesecloth, strain the liquid and add 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap.
Mix thoroughly. The mixture can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Spray the mealybug infested plant parts with the solution.
Last but not least
Use Synthetic Chemical Pesticide
Mealybugs can be controlled with a variety of stronger insecticides but they should be used…
…with caution, especially in enclosed areas.
The toxicity is can cause impact for pets and humans.
Sum Up
Jade plant sure have high resistant and have good resistance on bugs too…
…but you must aware that Jade can be infected by Mealy bugs too.
From above we can learn that we can get rid this mealybugs in no time.
Conclusion
Even Jade doesn’t need to have more care other than any other plant.
It need to be remind that mealy bugs is annoying on jade plant..
For you if you want to have, good and beauty Jade.
Do you have a question about mealybug?
Or do you have any recommendation method for removing mealybug?
Check out more of our posts like this one here!
I hope you can now take care your Jade plant carefully and grow it big!
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