If you notice that your plant is decaying, growing in a strange way and you see that it has small white or yellowish dots, I have bad news for you: you are the victim of a mealybug infestation. Mealybugs are one of the most common insect pests on houseplants and can be difficult to get rid of, especially if you wait too long to let it spread.
But don't worry, today we're going to show you how to get rid of those intruders that have besieged your plants once and for all.
What are mealybugs?
If you look very closely and with a magnifying glass those little dots that are on the underside of the leaves of your plants, you will discover that they are tiny insects, with a lot of legs. It is oval in shape, it is covered with a cottony layer that protects its eggs. There are several types, the cottony is white and as the name implies, it looks like it has cotton fibers on top. Soft mealybugs are oval, yellowish in color, and do not look hairy. There are others such as the ribbed mealybug, which usually attacks citrus fruits, and brown mealybugs, which grow as brown scales.
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The mealybugs you see attached to your plant are female. In this species of insects there is sexual dimorphism, so the males have wings and fertilize the females, who stay to live in the plants, laying eggs and feeding on them.
In fact, these insects use a stinger that they stick to the plants and suck the sap and juices of the plant to feed, thus weakening them and altering their growth.
By feeding on plants, mealybugs produce a honeydew that brings other insects and causes a fungus called negrilla to proliferate. This fungus, which looks like a black powder on the leaves, is not harmful, but it does affect aesthetics because it looks as if it were very dirty. Another big problem with mealybugs is that it is difficult to notice them when the pest is just beginning, as they are very small and hide well on the underside of leaves, the joints of the stems and in other areas that are difficult to access. You'll notice them when they're already a problem.
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Prevention
is yourbest ally when it comes to the pests that attack your plants, and in the case of mealybugs, it is vital to know the environmental conditions that favor their reproduction. If you create a hostile environment for them, they will be less likely to affect your plants.