Mealybug Control: Identification & Organic Solutions

Know the Pest

Mealybugs—common on houseplants and outdoors in mild‑winter areas—are covered in a powdery wax that shields them from sprays. Large colonies distort and yellow leaves, stunt growth, and excrete honeydew that attracts ants and sooty mold.

Treatment Options

• Houseplants: Dab individual bugs with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol.
• Garden: Blast with strong water jets, or spray insecticidal soap or horticultural oil.
• Biological: Ladybugs and lacewings are natural predators.
• Chemical (last resort): Acephate, diazinon, malathion—but these harm beneficial insects.

Early detection and mechanical removal are often enough for light infestations.