Question
Hi Darlene

I have a nice Beaucarnea plant, which I have had for about 6 years.

Recently it has become infected with a white sticky substance covering the growth from the centre of the of the fronds and I do not know how to treat this.

I have tried to wash it off with warm soapy water, which has removed most of the white stuff but I'm sure this has not resolved the problem completely. Is there a spray or other substance I can use that will not kill off the plant.

I also found some of this white stuff on a small Strelitzia that I have growing nearby so it must be spreading. I'm hoping it will not affect a large Anthuruium I also have in the same area.

As you can no doubt tell I prefer the more unusual type of houseplant!

All of these plants are in a sunny well lit lounge

I really appreciate any advice you can offer

Regards
Myra

Answer
Myra,

The white stuff on your plants is an insect called mealy bugs or in your country wooly aphids. Under that white cottony looking stuff is an insect. You are right it is spreading. It only likes certain plants and it loves those that are sort of succulent which includes your Beaucarnea and your strelitzia and sometimes they also attack anthuriums so I recommend that you move it to another area of the house. It is a difficult insect to eradicate.

Following are 7 methods to eradicate them.

1.Dimethoate can be combined with water, according to the directions on the package. Dimethoate can be purchased at most garden centers. Due to the waxy outer covering that mealy bugs have, it will take several treatments to get rid of the problem and kill all of them.

2.For mealy bugs that have infested root systems, you can mix the dimethoate with water and drench the soil several times over the course of a few weeks, until the problem is gone. If your plant is in a pot, put the potted plant in to a bucket large enough to contain the pot and then fill the bucket with a mixture of water and dimethoate. Leave soaking for at least an hour.

3. Though time consuming, you can use a small paint brush (such as those that come with children's water color sets# and apply an insecticide that contains Malathion to each individual mealy bug to kill them. This will allow you to get rid of the problem, without burning or otherwise damaging your plants. This is especially helpful when you have mealy bugs on your cactus or other succulent plants.

4.Use a mixture of warm water and dish soap and warm water. Mix approximately 1 tablespoon of soap per one pint of water. Use a spray bottle to apply the mixture while the water is still warm. The soap will help penetrate the waxy coating and will kill the mealy bugs. Some mealy bugs may be underground when you treat and kill the first batch of bugs, so it's important to retreat about one week after the first treatment.

5.Use jalapeno juice, Tabasco sauce, or a mixture of hot water and cayenne pepper. Parasites that infest plants in your garden can often be eradicated with simple pepper juices from your home. Woolly aphids can often be killed with garlic as well, so if you have any garlic extract in your home, put it in a spray bottle to use on the mealy bugs.

6.Rubbing alcohol and soap. Mix straight rubbing alcohol #no water), and 1/2 a teaspoon of dish soap. The dish soap, again, works to break down the waxy coating, and the rubbing alcohol will dehydrate the mealy bugs, killing them.

7.Other soaps, diluted 1 tablespoon to 1 pint water. Besides dish soap, you could mix water with the Murphy's Oil Soap or Dr. Bronner's organic peppermint soap. Not only will this kill mealy bugs, but it will keep other pests away, because parasitic insects don't like the strong scent of peppermint.

You need to use any of these methods twice a week for at least 4 weeks or until you no longer see any signs of insects. You need to repeat the treatments because eggs can hatch over several weeks and you have to treat the resulting insects before they have a chance to mate and lay eggs. Consistency is the key to eradicating these insects, you have to keep after them or you will loose your plants. Good luck.

Darlene