Are mealybugs infesting your precious succulents, killing them from the inside and eating them to death?
In this article
What are mealybugs?
Theyre more commonly found on indoor succulents but they can still infect outdoor succulents as well.
Mealybugs are problematic because they approach succulent consumption like locusts would wheat.
Theyre a plague for many a garden out there and can be quite difficult to get rid of.
Where do mealy bugs come from?
When you over-fertilize a plant, theyre sure to follow.
How to identify mealybugs on succulents?
First and foremost, do a visual check on your houseplant.
Do you see tiny white web-like spots all over the succulent?
It might be the bugs themselves.
They love hiding in the nooks and crannies of your plant.
Specifically, the hide on the place where stem and leaves meet, like the plants underarm.
Mealybugs are hard to identify visually but their effects on your succulents are quite apparent.
A magnifying glass should reveal trilobite-like or pill-bug-like insects reminiscent of fleas frosting your plant with their webbing.
Preventing mealybugs on succulents
For potted succulents, check that your soil is well-draining.
Otherwise, change the soil so that ensure that future infestations from these bugs are prevented.
Also, move your infected plant away from other plants to prevent spreading the infestation.
A dying succulent with curling off, yellowing leaves could be a sign of a heavy mealybug infestation.
#1.
Use the food-grade version instead of the pool-grade one.
#2.
Spray it directly unto your succulents to kill the mealybugs that are sucking it dry.
you’re free to spray it purely or dilute it in half with one part water.
Theyre better than pesticides because they attack the bug directly without harming other innocent insects or the plant itself.
#3.
Typically, neem oil and dish soap are separate entries in lists like this.
However, theyre so much more effective when used in tandem.
Whats more, theyre probably the best mix among the other solutions here.
This tandem should effectively drown the bugs in a multitude of ways.
#4.
Theyre best used on outdoor succulents though, since theyre mostly outdoorsy insects you wouldnt want infesting your home.
Use them when mite populations are still low.
#5.
This soap is also an even more effective mealybug killer than dishwashing soap solutions.
Its best used on succulents that are heavily with mealybugs.
This soap is a short-lived, all-natural pesticide that damages the outer layer of the mealybugs body.
This dehydrates and kills them in mere hours.
Apply for 7-10 days with about 2.5 gallons worth of insecticidal soap water.
Many of these same insects are also susceptible to the same anti-mealybug tactics outlined above.
