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.
Bad infestation of mealybugs on cactus 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 pesticides they are exposed to on a regular basis.
So, skip the toxic stuff and use the safer pest control methods listed below instead!
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.
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 pick up a copy of my Houseplant Pest Control eBook! 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! Grab your copy today!
Organic Pest Control Products I Recommend
Recommended Reading:
- Winter Houseplant Care
- Houseplant Pest Control
- The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual
- The House Plant Expert
More Information About Indoor Plant Pest Control
- All Natural Pest Control Supplies
- Neem Oil as Organic Pest Control
- How To Control Houseplant Pests
- Where Do Houseplant Pests Come From?
- 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).
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!
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!!
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!