If you notice that your plant is drooping, growing strangely and has little white or yellowish dots on it, 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 and let them spread.

But don't worry, today we'll show you how to get rid of these intruders that have been plaguing your plants once and for all.

what are mealybugs?

If you look closely with a magnifying glass at those little dots on the underside of the leaves of your plants, you will discover that they are tiny insects with lots of little legs. They are oval in shape, covered with a cottony coating that protects their eggs. There are several types, the cottony type is white and, as the name suggests, looks like it has cotton fibres on top. The soft mealybug is oval, yellowish in colour and does not look hairy. There are others such as the ribbed mealybug, which often attacks citrus fruit, and the brown mealybugs, which grow as brown scales.

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The mealybugs you see attached to your plant are females. There is sexual dimorphism in this insect species, so the males have wings and go about fertilising the females, who stay on the plants, laying eggs and feeding on them.

In fact, these insects use a sting that they stick into the plants and suck the sap and juices from the plant to feed, thus weakening them and disrupting their growth.

As they feed on the plants, mealybugs produce a honeydew that brings in other insects and causes the proliferation of a fungus called black mould. This fungus, which looks like a black powder on the leaves, is not harmful, but it does affect the aesthetics of the plant as it looks very dirty. Another big problem with mealybugs is that it is difficult to notice them when the infestation has just started, as they are very small and hide well on the underside of the leaves, the joints of the stems and in other hard-to-reach areas. You will notice them when they are already a problem.

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How to avoid mealybugs

Prevention is your best ally when it comes to pests attacking your plants, and in the case of mealybugs it is vital to know what environmental conditions favour their reproduction. If you create a hostile environment for them, they will be less likely to affect your plants.

Indoor plants are the most likely to be affected by these insects and this is because they are exposed to the humid conditions preferred by mealybugs, which require a dry environment in order to reproduce.

If your indoor plants are in a place where the heating is too high, you will be encouraging this pest. You can prevent this by placing containers of water near radiators to generate water vapour and help increase the humidity in the space.

Weak and stressed plants are perfect targets for mealy bugs, so remember to fertilise your plant, prune it and keep it in perfect health. Another important factor is to be very careful when buying new plants, especially in nurseries and superstores, as they handle a large volume of plants and pests go unnoticed. To avoid this you can check every nook and cranny of the plant before you take it home or, better still, buy it online from Be Green, which guarantees that every plant that arrives on your doorstep is healthy and perfect.

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How to eradicate mealy bugs

If you've spotted that your favourite plant has fallen victim to these pesky bugs, there's no time to waste. You need to be brave, patient and gather your chemical arsenal, because you can start fighting them with things you already have at home. E

but be aware that this is an ongoing war to the death, because if you leave just one mealybug, it can lay up to 2000 eggs and re-infect your plant.

The first step is to isolate your plant, to avoid contagion, and then proceed to eliminate the mealybugs. To do this, make the environment in which they live unpleasant for them by changing their PH. This can be done with substances such as methylated spirits, vinegar or soap. Personally, I have tried burning alcohol or pharmacy alcohol: for small plants I use cotton buds soaked in alcohol, and for large plants I use cotton cloths. Then I rub the mealybugs, which will immediately come off the plant. Then I wipe with a cloth soaked in water or water very well. I usually do this in the late afternoon, so that the leaves have time to dry out and the sun does not affect them.

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Some people use a mixture of castile soap or liquid dishwashing liquid with methylated spirits and water. They spray the plant and wipe it with a cloth to dislodge the mealybugs. This should be repeated once a week for a month. Another home remedy for mealybugs is to put the tobacco from about 6 cigarettes in a container with water, without the paper and filter. Let it sit for a couple of hours and then water the mixture.

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After the first cleaning and watering, it is essential to check the plant daily. Yes, every day. It is imperative to check the cracks, joints and corners of each stem because if even one mealybug is still alive, it will reproduce and start the infection all over again. At this point you should have already checked your other plants, as they may have been infected. It is a good idea to spray them with a little insecticide.

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If you've been consistent and careful, it will be easy to get rid of mealybugs with these home remedies; but if you've got a resistant bunch, don't worry, it's easy to get the big guns: chemical insecticides that will eradicate this annoying pest.

It's a matter of patience and dedication, and in no time at all you can get your plant back to health.