Mealybugs are clever little devils, they like to hide and then come in for the sneak attack. It seems like overnight there’s white cottony growth on plants that appeared out of nowhere. Getting rid of mealybugs on houseplants can be tough, but it’s not impossible! Follow these mealybug treatment methods to kill them, and learn how to prevent mealybugs from ever coming back!
What Are Mealybugs?
Mealybugs are scale insects that suck the sap out of the leaves and stems of plants, resulting in stunted or deformed leaf growth, yellowing of the leaves, and leaf drop.
These little white bugs on plants are most commonly found on new growth, along the veins of leaves, and at the leaf joints, but they can be found anywhere on the plant.
Mealybug damage is not as quick to occur or as devastating as it is when you have spider mites on houseplants.
But if a mealybug infestation goes left untreated, the plant will eventually die. Although it will usually take a long time for them to kill a plant.
What Do Mealybugs Look Like?
Mealybugs are tiny white bugs on houseplants, and most commonly look like white fuzzy stuff on plants leaves and stems. Mealybugs can also appear brown or cream colored, and waxy in immature stages.
At first glance they don’t look like insects, and are commonly mistaken for fungus or mildew rather than plant bugs.
Gross!
If the white bugs you see on your houseplants look more like tiny white flies that fly around when the plant is disturbed, then those are whiteflies instead of mealybugs. Here’s how to get rid of whiteflies on your houseplants. Otherwise, if they look like fuzz on your plants, those are definitely mealybugs so keep reading…
What do mealybugs look like? This! Yuck, right?
Related Post: How To Get Rid Of Aphids On Houseplants, For Good!
Mealybug Life Cycle
The full mealybug life cycle is about 7-10 weeks. It takes a week or two for the eggs to hatch into nymphs, and then another 6-9 weeks for the nymphs to mature into adults.
There can be several generations of mealybugs, and their life cycles can overlap, meaning that once they get started, the population can grow very quickly.
Since the eggs and nymphs are so small, and it takes a while for the population to become large enough to be noticeable, most people don’t discover mealybugs on their houseplants until after the population explodes.
Different stages of mealybug life cycle
Where Do Mealybugs Come From?
Like I said before, mealybugs are sneaky. One day everything is fine, and the next day your plant is covered with with sticky white cotton, leaving many people wondering what causes mealybugs in the first place?
As with any other plant bugs, mealybugs can come from anywhere. The most common causes are…
- Bringing home a new plant
- Using contaminated potting soil
- Putting houseplants outside during the summer
- Fresh flowers, fruits or vegetables brought in from the garden
- Mealybugs can even come from fresh produce or flowers from the grocery store!
- Ants sometimes bring mealybugs to a houseplant so that they can feed off of the honeydew residue that’s produced by the bugs.
Read more about where houseplant bugs can come from.
Adult longtailed mealybugs on houseplant leaf
How To Get Rid Of Mealybugs On Houseplants
As with any houseplant pest infestation, when you first spot a problem, begin mealybug treatment immediately. The first thing to do is quarantine the affected plant(s) so that you can prevent mealybugs from infesting your other houseplants.
The next thing to do is to kill mealybugs using organic pest control products and methods. I don’t recommend using synthetic pesticides, because mealybugs are resistant to most chemical pesticides. They also have the ability to develop a resistance to any chemicals they are exposed to on a regular basis.
So, skip the toxic stuff and use the safer pest control methods listed below instead! Learn more about natural houseplant pest control methods and remedies here.
Little white mealybugs on succulents
How To Treat Mealybugs On Plants
One way to kill mealybugs on houseplants is by touching them with a cotton swab that’s been soaked in rubbing alcohol. The rubbing alcohol will kill the bugs on contact, but in order for it to be effective, it must come in direct contact with the mealybugs.
As you treat a houseplant, make sure to inspect underneath all of the leaves, around the leaf joints, in folds and at the base of the plant for mealybugs.
These elusive plant pests like to hide so check the plant from several angles and under each leaf. Also brush away a little dirt to check the base of the stem at the point where it sticks out of the dirt, and also around the edges of the pot. You may find some mealybugs hiding there.
It will take several treatments to get rid of all of the mealybugs, so be sure to treat your plant daily and kill any bugs that you see.
Rubbing alcohol kills mealybugs on contact
Make Your Own Homemade Mealybug Spray
You can buy an organic insecticidal soap spray, or make your own. My recipe for homemade mealybug spray is 1 tsp of Dr. Bronner’s Baby-mild Liquid Soap per 1 liter of water. The soap kills the bugs on contact.
If the plant is small enough, bring it to the sink or shower to wash the leaves with this soap and water solution, and then give it a good rinse. This will kill a large number of the mealybugs, and help to give you the upper hand.
Keep in mind that some types of soap can damage sensitive plants, so it’s best to test the solution on a few leaves before spraying the entire plant.
Insecticidal soaps don’t have any residual effect to prevent houseplant pests from coming back, so it’s important to continue to spray regularly until there are no more signs of bugs.
Use mealybug spray, homemade with organic soap
Mealybug Control Using Neem Oil
Neem oil is a natural pest control product that is a very effective for getting rid of mealybugs on houseplants. Not only will it kill the bugs, it’s also great for residual pest prevention as well.
You can buy concentrated neem oil for pretty cheap, and a big bottle will last a long time. Just be sure to follow the instructions on the label. If you get the concentrate, you’ll need to mix in a little bit of soap to help the oil mix with water (I always use Dr. Bronner’s Baby-mild Liquid Soap since it’s so mild).
Even though neem oil has a residual effect to help keep houseplant pests from coming back, it can still take several applications to get rid of mealybugs. It can also take several days of using neem oil to treat mealybugs before it starts to kill them, so be patient, and continue to reapply until the bugs are gone.
As an alternative to neem oil for mealybugs, a pre-mixed horticultural oil or hot pepper wax spray, and they also work very well when used directly on mealybugs.
Learn more about neem oil insecticide.
Mealybug control neem oil and soap
My Proven Process For Long-Term Mealybug Control
Mealybugs are tough to get rid of, and the process can be super frustrating (trust me, I’ve been there many times myself)!
The best advice I can give you when trying to get rid of mealybugs on your houseplants is to use a combination of the methods I’ve outlined above, and be relentless in your fight. You can’t just spray a plant once, and expect the bugs to disappear. It can take several weeks, or even months to kill the entire population.
Here is the process I use to get rid of these pesky white fuzzy bugs…
Step 1: Immediately bring the infested plant to the sink and thoroughly wash the leaves and stems with my soapy water solution (1 tsp of Dr. Bronner’s Baby-mild Liquid Soap per 1 liter of water), and give the plant a good rinse. Then I inspect the pot from top to bottom, and along the soil line to see if there are any hiding mealybugs, and wash the drip tray with soapy water.
Check for mealybugs hiding under the pot tray
Step 2: Next I will wash the area where the plant was sitting with soapy water, and then use a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol to disinfect the area. If there are other plants nearby, I inspect them thoroughly for any signs of bugs (after washing my hands).
Step 3: Once everything has been cleaned and disinfected, I spray the plant with neem oil and move it to a location far away from any other plants.
Step 4: I check the infested plant daily for any signs of mealybugs, and kill each one that I see using a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. I will spray the plant with neem oil again after a week if I’m still killing mealybugs on it daily. I also inspect any plants that were sitting nearby the infested plant every day to make sure there aren’t any bugs on those plants (being sure to wash my hands after touching each plant!).
Step 5: If there are no new mealybugs found after several weeks of inspecting the plant, I’ll add it back to my collection, but try to put it in a new spot just in case.
How To Prevent Mealybugs From EVER Coming Back
Most of the time mealybugs don’t appear to move, but mealy bugs can crawl around on a plant and move to other houseplants in the area.
The worst part is that mealybugs will leave the houseplant to hide, and can live for a long time in spaces and crevices without having a host plant.
So just when you think you have conquered the beast, they will come out of hiding and re-infest your houseplant when you’re not looking.
Bad infestation of mealybugs on cactus plant
Here are a few things you can do to prevent mealybugs from ever coming back…
- Mealybugs can live in the soil of a houseplant, so if a plant is plagued by recurring infestations, you could try removing the top inch of dirt from the pot and replacing it with fresh potting soil. I recommend washing the inside rim of the pot after removing the layer of soil using soapy water and/or a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol to be sure to kill any bugs that are hiding there.
Look for mealybugs in soil around the pot edges
- Remove the plant from the area and clean any crevices where mealybugs could be hiding. Be sure check around the outside lip and inside edges of the pot and tray, and also the bottom of the pot for hiding mealybugs.
- Once you have the infestation under control, move your plant to a new location to get it away from any mealybugs that might be hiding in the spot where the plant was sitting before.
Mealybugs hiding on bottom of houseplant pot
It’s hard to get rid of all of the mealybugs the first few times you try. Even if you are able to kill all of the adults, the eggs and babies are tiny and easily overlooked.
It can be frustrating, but it’s worth it to save your favorite houseplants.
If you are tired of constantly battling bugs on your indoor plants, then my Houseplant Pest Control eBook is for you! It will help you identify the bugs that are infesting your houseplants, show you exactly how to get rid of them, AND arm you with the tools you need to keep those nasty pests away FOR GOOD! Download your copy today!
Organic Pest Control Products I Recommend
Recommended Reading
More Info About Indoor Plant Pest Control
- All Natural Pest Control Supplies
- Neem Oil as Organic Pest Control
- How To Get Rid Of Houseplant Bugs Naturally
- How To Debug Plants Before Bringing Them Indoors
How do you get rid of mealybugs on houseplants? Share your mealybug treatment tips in the comments below.
David eacock says
Thanks for the advice on Mealy Bugs. However, where does the mother Mealy bug come from to assault the plant? We have a lot of Hibiscus bushes and it seems that [they] assault all the bushes at the same time.
Would it be the case to spray early; say Mid May, to catch them out?
David
Amy Andrychowicz says
Haha, who knows where the mother comes from. That sounds like a chicken and egg question. 😉 Yes, it does seem like they appear all at once, but they are probably there all the time. You just don’t notice them until the plant is infested. I would definitely recommend spraying the plant early, and keep up on it a few times over the summer to see if you can get rid of the mealybugs.
Michell says
How much neem oil? Do you add it to water and spray on the plant or add it to the soap solution?
Amy Andrychowicz says
It depends on the type of neem oil you get. Some products come ready-to-use. There should be instructions for use on the package.
carey says
I mostly gave up on natural sprays; now I just but lady bugs a few times a year on Amazon.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You buy the ladybugs for your houseplants inside the house? I’ve heard of others doing that. My cats would love it! LOL!
Carisa Herzberg says
Lady bugs? Did it work? Are they a special kind, because we have a lot of them right out my doors and windows here in Michigan. I need to try, nothing else has worked. Neem oil and soapy water and alcohol have not worked. It’s a big Gardenia tree, I just transplanted in a big heavy pot, I wonder if they were in the potting soil I bought? Well sorry I’m just so sick of these nasty little insects, and I really like this tree. I hope the neem oil doesn’t hurt the lady bugs because I’m off to catch some ladybugs.
Amy Andrychowicz says
The bugs that are hanging around your doors and windows aren’t ladybugs, they are Asian lady beetles. Ladybugs don’t swarm like that. 🙂 Asian lady beetles eat pest insects too, but they are an invasive species (and be careful, because they can bite too – though it’s not too painful). Neem oil is a natural organic pesticide, but it should be treated like any other pesticide. So yes, it will likely also kill the Asian lady beetles (as would soapy water spray if it’s used directly on the beetles).
Adrienne says
Thank you for pointing that out. There are also invasive praying mantises that pest management companies sell and they end up wiping out natve mantids. When you use insect control you need to make sure youre not being sold these invasive species.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, another great point!
Mary Hughes says
I bought ladybugs once, and when I released them in my garden they all flew away. Never saw them again. 🤗
Carisa Herzberg says
Need oil, rubbing alcohol, and soapy water are not killing meelybugs on my indoor Gardenia tree. I have tried everything it’s big and heavy to move into the shower. HELP I can’t kill these things.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Sorry to hear about your mealybug infestation, it’s so frustrating! Mealybugs are one of the most difficult pests to get rid of. You have to be diligent and patient. It can take several months to get rid of mealybugs. Mealybugs are good hiders, so even if you think you’ve gotten rid of them, they come right back. Some of their favorite hiding spots are under the edges of pots and trays, on the bottom of pots, in drainage holes, at the base of the plant just under the soil, around the edge of the soil. So make sure to inspect these areas for signs of mealybugs. They can even leave the plant all together and hide in window ledges, cracks and crevices. They are not nice! So, you have to keep checking your plant for signs of infestation even after you think you got them all killed. Good luck with your fight!
Jo A Willard says
I also have a HUGE plant too heavy to carry. Crown of Thorns 5′ x 3′. I do take it outside during the summer for the hummingbirds. Had just repotted it last spring. Could not figure out what type of infestation it had. Called a nursery & sent a pic & was told it had mealybugs. Started using alcohol. It still looked great all winter. Finally found this website recently which is the most informative & purchased the neem oil & soap. I did drag it over to the kitchen door & tilted it (so it wouldn’t get too much water) with one hand & then sprayed it with the garden hose before treating it the first time with neem oil. I misunderstood & mixed the 2 products together. Just read this article again. So I am supposed to have separate sprayer for the soap, then rinse it off & then use neem oil right after? How often & am I able to just use water bottle to spray it off with a strong stream? When taking it outside now, it will be a lot easier for me. Is it okay to take it outside this year?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh no, so sorry to hear your crown of thorns has mealybugs, bummer! If you’re using concentrated neem oil like I mentioned here, you would mix the soap and neem oil together into the same spray bottle to make your own homemade neem oil spray. You don’t need to rinse the neem oil off the plant. That is only if you were to wash the plant with soap, then you would rinse the soap off. Here’s a detailed post about how to use neem oil insecticide, with more detailed instructions along with my neem oil spray recipe.
Jo Willard says
You are so awesome with responding to us quickly & realize we want to solve our problems right away. And you have such knowledge? I have already commented twice earlier & apologize for more questions. again. I am a little confused about one of the procedures. Am I supposed to have a separate spray bottle of the Dr bronner’s soap to wash it & down followed with a strong stream of water to rinse. Then use the mixture of Neem oil & the soap & spray? Then check every day with alcohol? Can you imagine how long it takes me for this type of plant……approximately 2 hrs daily. Is it ok to take my Crown of Thorns outside now for the hummingbirds? It is so much easier to kill the mealybugs. Or would I wind up with other aphids? It even doesn’t have a big infestation according to the pics I have seen. Very small & hard to see webs on the branches although I do see them underneath flowers on top of the branches & right underneath. I’ve had
this plant for 30+ yrs with never a problem until I repotted last spring..I didn’t know potting soil could be contaminated Am I able to spray the potting soil/manure/compost mix I made ready to use to transplant with? All of my other plants throughout the house are fine.
One more question I have been stumped with. Nobody seems to know & I have researched for several years. I have noticed teeny tiny specks on my windowsills. I thought it was seed or pollen. But can’t see any on the lleaves or long branches. Unfortunately since using the neem oil & soap, the leaves for the 1st time are not pretty. AND the mealybugs who can fly.get mad at me while spraying & swarm like wasps !!!
Thank you so much I finally have answers.
Amy Andrychowicz says
If you plan to use the neem oil spray, then you can just use that. You don’t have to go through any extra steps of washing the plant if you don’t want to. That is just a step you can take to help get rid of the mealybugs faster, by washing as many of them off as you can. But the neem oil spray will do it’s job eventually. Yes, you can take the plant outside to make it easier to get rid of the mealybugs. You certainly could end up with other bugs on the plant when you bring it outside, but the neem oil would kill the aphids too. Some mealybugs can fly… but they won’t swarm like you describe. Are you sure you don’t have another pest, like whiteflies or fungus gnats that are flying around when you spray? The black specks you’re describing make me think of fungus gnats.
Tami Tovar says
2 weeks dry spell. 1 week ants on kitchen windowsill, 1 week later-Okinawan potted spinach outside is fuzzy white! SO thankful for advice-especially pot cleaning! They were everywhere. And the leaves so curled from the bugs that q-tips were not enough. I took the stems And dipped them one by one upside down into the jar of alcohol and swished. Then spray washed the whole plant roots and all outside then repotted in 1/2 starbucks coffee grinds and fresh dirt.(!)(!) gave a diatomaceous earth ring around the perimeter and am making neem/soap spray now. So far the plant looks really good.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome. Yuck, sorry to hear that your plant was infested with mealybugs. Sounds like you have a really good start at getting rid of them. Good luck!
Marlie Graves says
Lots of good advice and products and mixtures of stuff — but leaving out the most important part. You MUST spray whatever you decide to use WEEKLY FOR FOUR WEEKS. If you spray once, wash, clean off all the bugs, then don’t treat again until you see new bugs, you have to start over. The trick is to kill the baby bugs BEFORE you can see them, so they can’t lay eggs to start the cycle over again.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thanks for your additional tips!
Andrew says
Hi,
I also had mealybugs in my mango fruits and managed it successfully by applying neem oil every 4-5 days.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome! So glad to hear the neem oil worked for you.
Adea Sanders says
You helped me so much before and I’m sure you can again. My old lady cactus has small white cottonballs between the needles and I don’t know if they are mealybugs or part of the plant. I looked up photos of the cactus and some seem to have cotton while others don’t, so anyway I sprayed it with some alcohol and tested to see if I could remove the cotton, which I could for the most part but I didn’t finish for fear that it may be growth on the plant. My other plants don’t show signs of mealybugs yet but if these are the pests then your guidance would be helpful!! Should I remove all the cotton for safety, or is it part of my cactus? Thank you for your time!!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh wow, glad to hear that I’ve helped you so much in the past. Awesome! 🙂 It’s totally normal for the old lady cactus to have white furry hairs over it, that’s part of it’s charm. There are a few ways to tell if it’s mealybugs, or just the normal hairs on the plant. When you squish the mealybugs, you can see a tiny bit of pink/red on the cotton swab. Also, mealybugs would be sticky. When they feed, they produce a sticky residue which will make them feel a bit sticky when you clean them off. You’ll sometimes also notice a sticky residue on and around the pot. You can also take a magnifying glass and get a closer look at the plant. If there are mealybugs present, you’ll be able to see individual bugs in there. Fingers crossed that it’s not mealybugs!!
Michael says
Thanks Amy. After reading everyone’s problem here now I know I am not the only one affected by mealybugs. It is very interesting and infomative. Thank you.
Reshma says
2nd week on safer soap spray on my phal orchids. I hope they all die 🙁
Reshma says
The mealy bugs that is
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome! I hope all of those darn mealybugs die too!
Robin says
I’ve treated my plants and removed them from the room in which there was an infestation. How long before I can return my plants back into that room?
Amy Andrychowicz says
I keep my plants quarantined for at least two months, and many times longer, and I inspect them regularity for signs of reinfestation. If they remain clean then I will move them back, but continue to watch them like a hawk. Mealybugs can live a long time without a host plant, I’ve read anywhere from 45-60 days. So, if they are hiding somewhere, they will just infest the plant again as soon as you put it back in the same spot. If you’re using neem oil for mealybugs, then you won’t have to worry as much since it works to repel them.
Patrick Bowen says
I have a large Cacti collection. In the Winter, I have to bring all of the plants indoors.
Unfortunately, mealbugs have attacked all of my cacti. Some worse than others, but I am going
to start with spraying the cacti with alcohol, and continue with this method of treatment for
a few days. If it doesn’t work, I will move on to the next method of treatment you have discussed. Thank You.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh no, so sorry to hear about your mealybug infestation! Next time you bring your plants indoors for the winter, you may want to try my method of debugging plants before bringing them indoors (although be careful with cactus plants, and make sure the soil dries out completely before watering them again). Also, neem oil works wonderful as a natural pesticide, and you can also use it to spray your plants before bringing them indoors in the fall. Good luck!!
Lisa says
How long would mealybugs and their eggs live in dry soil with no plants present?
Amy Andrychowicz says
I don’t know for sure how long mealybugs will live without a host plant. But at least a couple of months. When I have a plant that’s been infested with mealybugs, I wait at least 6 months before putting any plant in that spot again just to be sure. They are sneaky little buggers.
Jo A Willard says
What can I do when my Crown of Thorns is so heavy to carry &to tip over to disinfect?(5Ft high by 2ft high). Has about 25 new shoots that are hard to reach. Spraying only the crooks & areas with 50% alcohol nstead of using swap ok? I am waiting for my neem oil & soap being shipped. I do take it out on my deck in summer for the hummingbirds. Last summer I did lay it on it’s side, sprayed all over and replanted with just a little harm on some branches. Now even harder to lift in summer & fall. I have done so much research & still cannot find any answers to my questions. HELP! I do not want to lose this important plant to me. Thx for any help. Jo
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear you beautiful crown of thorns is infested with mealybugs! It’s tough when large plants become infested. You could try the alcohol, but hopefully it won’t take long for your neem oil to arrive. It might take some time, but the neem oil should get rid of the mealybugs as long as you’re persistent. Make sure to thoroughly clean the area where the plant sits (more than once), and check the pot and plant tray like I mention above, and wash those too. Also spray the plant with neem oil before brining it back indoors in the fall to help keep them away.
Connie Zerman says
Hi Amy, I live in South Africa in an area where humidity can get quite high. The humidity I can handle (sometimes) but the damn mealy bugs I cannot handle. Every morning I check and kill quite a few and in the evenings same thing. I have gone through two lots of the outdoor plants – same plant but different colour (purple and white). I am just a very general gardener and go for flowers and colour. My roses (so far) have been absolutely beautiful and have caused no problem (thumbs crossed!) But the bushy flowers (purple and white) are troublesome yet are beautiful. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the bushy plants as I am a general gardener!! It would be impossible to rinse them as the pot is huge and so are the plants ….. if I spray with dishwashing liquid mixed with water without rinsing the bush, will this kill my plant?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh boy, an outdoor plant that’s infested with mealybugs, now that’s something I have never had to deal with. So sorry to hear about your struggle. If the infested plants are flowering and attracting butterflies and bees, then you definitely don’t want to use neem oil or any other insecticide on them. You can definitely wash the leaves regularly with soapy water, but I would rinse them well afterwards. The soap could damage the leaves, especially when the plants are sitting in the sun. Nature usually does a good job of controlling pest infestations outdoors as long as you have a healthy balance of predatory insects around. I would recommend planting other flowers that attract wasps, ladybugs, praying manatees and other beneficial insects that feed on pests like mealybugs. I’m not familiar with the types of insects you have in South Africa, but I would definitely recommend doing some research and see what you can find. Good luck!
Katie L. says
I just looked up the life cycle of mealybugs and all of them showed the adult males with wings. I could probably look this up as well but I thought it might be helpful for others to know as well. Do the wings on the males allow them to fly? I’m guessing that if so, this would allow a single male to do his part with several females in their natural outdoor habitat. I’ve been battling a Japanese infestation for the last couple of years and I swear all they do is eat and breed. I’ve reduced their numbers significantly in just one year through natural methods but since all the flowers I love to plant attract them I fear it may be a lifelong battle. I recently found out that they love to feast on four o’clocks which proves to be a deadly treat for Japanese Beetles so I’ve sowed several seedlings this year and plan to border my yard with them wherever possible. I joke about how I feel like I’m operating a Japanese Beetle bordello that includes meals but it really kinda feels that way, lol.
Anyway, thanks for the tips on the mealybugs. My mom bought me a lucky bamboo plant recently and silly me didn’t isolate it as one should when introducing a new plant into the home. I’m pretty sure I caught them in time as the new plant was near my seedlings but I’m still keeping a very close eye on them.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, adult male mealybugs do have wings and can fly, but it’s the females that feed on the plants and cause all of the damage. Yuck! It is super frustrating how fast the bad bugs reproduce, and sometimes it feels like their only mission in life is to destroy our plants – I totally feel your pain! Sorry to hear that your new plant has mealybugs, that’s so frustrating! I sure hope you caught it in time.
Clare MacKenzie says
Hi sadly i am down to my last two houseplants which were fine for ten years on my balcony with odd garden centre bug spray but in last three weeks hug infestation of mealybugs…have used malathion (stopped cos thought i was killing myself despite protective clothes and mask) then rubbing alcohol spray…but nothing seems to work. I did prune and physically wearing gloves wipe off as much of the mealybugs (ugh) as possible but its not working!! Will my plant survive if i completely clip off all nodes and leaves so as to starve the buggers out? Appreciate any advice or help..would really like to give it one last shot before i have to make a decision on whether to destroy the plants before they infect neighbour’s plants. Yes, i have quarantined them from their usual spot.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh no, sorry to hear you’re having so much trouble with mealybugs! That is no fun. I highly recommend using neem oil (a natural insecticide) to get rid of mealybugs. It takes some time to work, but it’s the best remedy for getting rid of them for good. Wash the plants with mild soap and water to kill most of the mealybugs, and give it a good rinse before you start treating the plant with neem oil. That will give you the upper hand, and faster results. Definitely don’t trim all the leaves from your plants, that will likely kill the plants. Good luck!
Clare MacKenzie says
Hi Amy thanks for your reply and suggestions…er in my impatience and utter revulsion of those mbs..urgh…i then made up a soapy, olive oil, water mixture and sprayed both plants (been told they’re happiness plants..who knew) every other day and using gloves wiped the white stuff off as much as i could including hmm knocking off nodes on branches. Anyway one plant seems to be responding well (fingers, toes and eyes crossed) but the other seems to be getting worse!
So i am going to try your suggestion of washing down both plants first and then the neem oil…do i have to dilute it and if so what ratio and how often do i spray them? Thanks again for your input.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Hi Clare, you’re welcome, glad I could help. I definitely would not recommend using olive oil, or any other type of cooking oil on any of your houseplants. Also, be sure the soap you’re using is a mild soap, and not one that contains detergents or degreasers – those types of soaps can end up killing sensitive plants. Here’s the liquid soap I use and recommend. As for the neem oil, it depends on which type you buy. If you buy the stuff I recommended, then yes, you will need to dilute it. Here’s a post I wrote all about neem oil, including how to use it, and my homemade neem oil spray recipe… How To Use Neem Oil On Plants
Clare MacKenzie says
Oh just read the other comments…my plants were on my balcony for ten years nu major probs but recent extreme heat and rain have suddenly resulted in my mealybug problem…dragged them into my common corridor off the balcony outside of my front door and treating them there. Will Neem oil harm any good bugs around? bees?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, even though it’s all natural, neem oil is an insecticide and can kill any type of bug.
Clare MacKenzie says
Sorry for doing this in bits and bobs…im in Singapore btw. So i cover the soli with newspapers before i start so anything that falls hopefully won’t get into the soil…if they aren’t in there already…and i throw the papers out before i start another round of spraying…
Margareth Wlodarski says
Does Neem oil harm lizards?
Amy Andrychowicz says
I’m sorry, but I’m not sure. I would recommend doing some research about that, or asking your veterinarian if you’re worried about a pet.
Terri says
Do you have any recommendation for mealybug infestation on asparagus ferns and Kimberly ferns. I have had these for a
Couple of years and this year there has been an infestation of these two house plants. I recently moved to this apartment. Also, can mealybugs live in the a/c air ducts?
Amy Andrychowicz says
You should be able to follow the instructions in this post for treating the mealybugs on your ferns. Since ferns have so many leaves, nooks and crannies, then using neem oil as I describe will probably be your best bet to get rid of the mealybugs long term. Yes, mealybugs can live for a while without a host plant. So, if the previous tenant had infested plants, then yours certainly could have become infested from those. Though, if you just moved into the apartment, then that’s probably not where they came from. It usually takes a few months for a mealybug population to get large enough to notice them.
Claire says
I took my ivy plant into a plant shop and the diagnosis was mealybugs. I bought neem oil, made sure to wipe off all the leaves with the oil and was also told to put a plastic bag around the plant. Will this aid in killing them faster or is it useless?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh no, I would definitely not put a plastic bag around the plant! That could end up killing the plant. Just treat it with the neem oil, and be sure to follow the steps above so that you’re sure to get rid of the mealybugs for good!
Ms jo willard says
I have written to you before concerning my 5 ft high & wide crown of thorns I have had for 40 yrs. I have been treating it as you instructed for approx 8 months plus now at least. It is outside now & my hummingbirds love & fight over it every year. They even let me know to stay away from it! I’ve finally had enough of the mealybugs with no results. The following procedure takes so long but I took EVERY branch a few days ago & treated every nook & cranny. I sprayed alcohol only in & underneath each area they reside & all over the branches (is it safe to spray leaves with alcohol?) … Rinsed off strongly with the garden hose, holding each one separate…then washed with Castile soap/ neem oil & rinsed off strongly…let dry & sprayed with neem oil. I had also went thru the steps with the soil & around. This is the first time i’ve done all these treatments together. No other bugs EXCEPT MEALYBUGS a couple of days later. It seems to me that possibly they are coming up from the approximately 20 baby shoots??? These shoots are very hard to get underneath their leaves. (I just now thought of mayby using qtips on all of the treatments I am doing) i took about 10 shoots off to try to grow..various sizes…one was 10 inches long with lots of roots! …treated all & then planted the rooted one…watered very lightly with quick start & brought it inside. Am I supposed to use the root powder on the others? I have propagated only once before & they didn’t make it. (Neighbor said it is hard to do that with the wood plants.) I did as you said & are letting branches sit. Plz plz plz…help me…the plant is very sentimental to me. Am I doing something wrong? I do not know who else to ask that is so knowledgable & has dealt with a crown of thorns. It is so much harder to treat because of the size & many parts to it. Is there no way to save it?
Thank you so much for having a question & answer section and being so prompt in answering. Will keep treating it until I hear from your.
I have subscribed.
The book you had mentioned before sounds very interesting & helpful & i will be purchasing.
Amy Andrychowicz says
So sorry to hear that you continue to have problems with mealybugs on your crown of thorns plant! Are you being consistent with the neem oil treatments? Once you go through all that work of cleaning the bugs off the plant, then you have to be consistent and continue to treat it with neem oil regularly. Also, be sure to clean the bottom of the pot, the plant tray (if you’re using one), as well as the inside and outside edges of the pot, and any other crevices where mealybugs can hide. They are notorious for hiding somewhere off the plant, then coming back after you’re done cleaning it. I would also try moving the plant after you clean it really well. Moving the plant to a new location could solve your problem. Mealybugs can hide in cracks and crevices anywhere around the spot where you have the plant. If you keep putting the plant back into the same location after you clean it, that could be the problem.
Jo Willard says
My crown of thorns is moved outside now & easier to treat. No insects except still the mealybugs. How often do I spray with Castile Soap & rinse? Neem oil is sprayed every day?…and when do i start cutting down spraying neem oil & use for how many days in between? And i am supposed to check every day & use alcohol dab if I see any mealybugs but still spray w/neem oil every day? I am confused about how & when to do each step. I have not been spraying neem oil every day. But somehow I have gotten rid of all the curled up leaves!
Amy Andrychowicz says
I use the soapy water spray to kill as many of the mealybugs as I can as the first thing. Then, after rinsing that off, I spray the plant with neem oil right away as my second step. Then I continue treating the plant with neem oil regularly until I don’t see anymore mealybugs. Yes, you can use a alcohol swab to kill the mealybugs you see on the plant every day, that will help to gain control of the infestation faster. As for how often to treat with neem oil, here’s a detailed post that I wrote about it that will answer all of your questions… How To Use Neem Oil Insecticide On Plants.
Joel O'Connor says
Thank you so much for your help Amy. My conservatory is under attack from mealybugs. The bougainvillaea particularly. The plants are big and impossible to move or quarantine. Can I add a small amount of rubbing alcholol to the soapy/neem mix ?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh no, sorry to hear you’re having trouble with mealybugs! I don’t see a problem with adding rubbing alcohol to the mix. But… I’m not sure it will make much of a difference. I would just follow the instructions on the package for the neem oil/soap mix. Use a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol to remove the mealybugs from the plant, if you want to help get rid of them faster.
Rochel says
I have had two large dracaena plants killed by mealybugs in the last year. I am pretty sure that they were hiding out when I threw away the first one and replaced it with a second one. I watched the leaves and noticed when the mealybugs started showing up on one leaf (about 6 months after purchase), and I wiped them down and started spraying the plan with Bonide soap. Maybe I wasn’t thorough enough but within two or three weeks they have killed the plant! If I get another large dracaena I’m going to wipe down the whole area with alcohol first for sure. I have the pot in a very large basket and will spray that down thoroughly as well.
Would you recommend that as a preventative measure (before signs of the bugs)I could spray the whole plant with alcohol diluted with water, or some other substance on a weekly basis? I don’t really have time to wipe down each one of the individual leaves and was hoping that a good dowsing with a spray bottle with could keep these buggers away. Again, these are 4 foot high plants in the pots are very heavy. I live in a New York City apt, and there isn’t all that much light and actually the plant is right next to a radiator so it’s not an ideal environment. But it is a big empty space and I really do want a tall green plant there.
Maybe I should just go for plastic?? 😹
Amy Andrychowicz says
Humm… 2-3 weeks is really fast for a few mealybugs to kill your large dracaenas. I have a feeling something else may have been to blame. I’ve never used Bonide soap myself, but some plants are sensitive to sprays. Did you test it on a leaf before spraying the whole plant? Also, if the radiator gets really hot, then that may have been what killed your plants. Plants don’t always do very well near heat sources. As for getting new plants… if you plan to reuse the pots from the old plants, I would clean them very well then put them outside for a few weeks in the freezing temps to kill the mealybugs. Then, as you say, clean the area where the plants were. However, if I were you, I would wait a few months before bringing home any new plants if you must put them in the same spot as the old ones. That should be enough time for any remaining mealybugs to die off after you’ve cleaned the area well. Also, if you bought your last few plants from the same place (like a big box store), then I recommend going to a different place to buy them this time (a nursery is usually the best source for healthy plants). The mealybugs may be coming in with the plants. Last, I would recommend sticking to organic pesticides, and neem oil is my first choice for getting rid of mealybugs. It would be your best bet as a preventative spray too. Good luck!
Stephine says
Hi Amy, I would love some advice. I have plants all over my home. I first noticed a new plant had mealy bugs. I killed the bug that I saw, wiped down leaves and sprayed the whole plant with homemade neem/soap spray. I also took out the top inch of soil and put in new. Then wiped down the pot with alcohol. I moved the plant to another room away from other plants. I check another plant that was purchased the same day as the other…indeed it also had little fuzzy bits. No actual bug was found. I repeated all the same steps and kept these two plants away from others. Now a week later I have found three other plants with mealybug. These other plants were not even in the same room. One from the kitchen, one from the living room and one from a bedroom. I am beyond upset and confused how they are spreading. I probably have around 40 plants total. I am sick with fear that they will all get infected and I will lose all my plant babies. I need help and guidance. Should I go ahead and spray every plant once a week? Why/how do you think the mealybug has spread room to room? Please help.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh no! So sorry to hear that your plants have mealybugs! If they were all purchased at the same time, then that is likely where the came from (they were on the plants when you bought them). Mealybugs can also be spread from plant to plant on a watering can, pruning tools, or even if they get on your hands or your shirt or something. They are so sneaky that it’s really hard to know for sure. I always be sure to use a different watering can on infested plants, and also wash my hands and disinfect my tools before touching any other plants. It takes several treatments to get rid of mealybugs, so you definitely need to continue with your neem oil spray on a regular basis, even after you don’t see anymore bugs. I will treat my infested plants for 6 months or more to be sure the mealybugs are gone for good. I don’t treat any other plants until I see mealybugs on them. So, if I were you, I would just isolate the infested plants, and then monitor the others closely for several weeks.
Katy Harrell says
Will neem oil or soap spray harm lizards, monarch eggs/catapillars or any other beneficial or harmless creatures? Does it kill aphids and thrips too?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Neem oil is an organic, naturally occurring pesticide. So yes, since it’s a pesticide, it will harm all types of bugs, good and bad. I stick to using it on my indoor plants only, and not in the garden just for that reason. I’m not sure about lizards though.
Charlene says
What if it’s not a house plant, but outside planted in the garden?
Amy Andrychowicz says
You can use the same methods described above to get rid of mealybugs on outdoor plants too. Once you get them under control, then stop using any type of pesticide (like neem oil), and work to attract beneficial predators to your garden. Wasps, ladybugs, and praying mantis are examples are great predatory insects that feed off of pest insects in the garden, like mealybugs. Don’t use any pesticides in your garden, and plant flowers and host plants to attract them. That should take care of the mealybug infestation naturally.
Lou says
I washed and removed all soil from my african violets and put them in glasses full of water – immersing only the roots of course. It’s somehow gratifying to see the bugs crawling out in despair. But how long should I keep the plants in water, in case there are eggs still hatching? 2 weeks? Adult root mealybugs have died, but I don’t know if the violets will get an overdose of water in the long run.
Amy Andrychowicz says
It’s great to hear that you were able to get rid of most of the mealybugs by removing the soil and putting the plant in water. I wouldn’t leave your African violet in water for too long. It can weaken the plant, and may eventually cause root rot. I would repot it into fresh, clean soil and continue to spot-treat the mealybugs daily until they are completely gone.
Chloe says
hey! I’ve been having trouble with my plant, I’m not sure if it is mealybugs or something else. they look like little sesame seeds, and not very much fluffy stuff. would be great if you could help me sort it out.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Humm, sounds like it could either be aphids or houseplant scale to me. But mealybugs don’t always build up the fluffy white stuff until their population gets fairly large. So take a look at the photos above of the individual mealybugs to make sure that’s not what’s on your plant.
Berenice Walker says
I’ve lost plants to those pests, these pests are my nemesis! I hadn’t had a problem with them for years… until now! (I lost a curly Hoya to them.) This year I’m having a problem with them.
I discovered them when I noticed one plant had “fuzz” on it. I took a toothpick & lifted it up. I took one of my magnifying glasses & noticed a little, tiny, beige bug with feelers trying to crawl away! Bingo, mealy bugs.
I did an immediate inspection of all ALL my plants, pre-treated them to prevent a break out on them.
I also washed down my entire plant shelf to keep them from crawling to the next plant!
Besides the alcohol, soaps, neem oil, etc; I added to my arsenal:
1) 2 different magnifying glasses & a jeweler’s loupe (you can get them at hobby stores or look online).
2) a special “isolation”chamber to keep the pests from falling off & crawling away. I live in an apartment & have one good window for light. I removed the plant from my succulent display. I took a black, plastic coffee can lid (you can use what ever size lid that’s appropriate for your plant). I take a piece of aluminum foil to go around the lid & create a wall tall enough (about 3 inches or more) & larger than the circumference of the plant. I also flair the lip outward to be sure of catching them.
Every day, I check,treat the plant, wash the lid & make a new aluminum wall. I just found 3 tiny bugs on the lid this morning!)
3) Since my area is so dry, & dusty I decided to run a humidifier close to my plants. I don’t know how much good it will do, but at least it will keep the dust down.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Shoot, so sorry to hear you found mealybugs on your plants! That’s no fun. Thanks for sharing your method of getting rid of them. Isolating the plant is very smart, and treating it daily will ensure you’ll eventually get rid of the bugs! Good luck, and keep up the good work. 🙂
Dora says
Hi,
I have some bugs on two bay laurels, one in front yard other in backyard. No other plants seem to be having them. These mealy bugs look like them the most, they are like 2mm snowflakes sitting on topsides of leaves in vein areas and on stems. They suddenly appeared only on these 2 plants, on the parts that are in shadow and most sheltered from wind seems like.
I live in Croatia on the coast, it’s been about 30 degrees celsius the whole month or so, with some rain here and there.
The bug that looks the most like them I found on this site:
Couldn’t find anything when searching for “white lice” or “kebul lice” tho.
Is this a mealy bug? I can send a pic of them I took with my phone.
Thank you,
Dora.
Amy Andrychowicz says
They certainly sound and look like they could be a type of mealybug to me. You may just have a different species where you live than we do here. The organic control methods above should work to get rid of them. Good luck!
Paulina says
Can peppermint Castile soap work instead of the baby mild, or is it too harsh? I’m trying to kill an infestation I have that spread to several other plants, and I am trying to spray them often, but I’m scared that the peppermint is doing damage? In addition, I went so far as washing my umbrella plant in the shower, completely reporting it and washing the pot in soapy water, spraying the whole plant in peppermint Castille soap, but I saw baby bugs on it the very next day!! What did I do wrong?? Thank you for your help!
Amy Andrychowicz says
I don’t like to use soaps that have oils in them, because the oils may harm sensitive plants. If you think that’s what’s happening with yours, then I would stop using it and switch to baby mild.
You’re not doing anything wrong, it just takes time and persistence to get rid of mealybugs. They are one of the hardest houseplant bugs to get rid of completely, and it takes lots of patience. The one thing I would not recommend in the future though is repotting infested plants. You should never repot a plant that has a bug infestation, because it will further stress and weaken the plant, and it does nothing to get rid of mealybugs.
Have you tried using neem oil yet? If not, I would recommend adding that to your arsenal. It has a residual effect that will help to eliminate mealybugs faster, and keep them from coming back. Good luck, and hang in there!