Eradicating Mealybugs on Houseplants Without Pesticides

Complete Coverage: Spray all leaf and stem surfaces to dripping.
Repeat Treatment: Reapply in 5–7 days to catch hatchlings.
Weekly Monitoring: Check for reinfestation.

Identifying Mealybugs

Cottony tufts on plants are mealybugs. Young crawlers lack the white coating and hide in leaf-stem junctions.

Brand X Foliage Cleaner: Silicon-based, penetrates crevices. Available from Southwest Plantscape Products (1-800-333-7977).
Rubbing Alcohol Spray: 1 part alcohol to 5 parts water + drop of liquid soap. Test on a few leaves first. Avoid direct sun and temps above 75°F.

They are hazardous and not 100% effective against mealybugs.

House Plants: Overwintering a Mosquito Plant (Citronella Geranium) Indoors; Mealybugs on Palm: Not Fungus, Treat with Alcohol or Brand X Cleaner; Mealybugs on Ficus: Identification and Non-Toxic Treatment; Mealybug Control on Money Plants (Pothos/Epipremnum); Ficus Dripping Sticky Sap? It's Scale Honeydew; Mealybug Infestation on Jade Plant: Treatment Guide; Schefflera Sticky Residue: Pest or Disease? Get Local Help; Celosia: An Outdoor Annual, Not a Houseplant; Mealybug Infestation on Pothos: Identification and Treatment; Mealybug Infestation on African Violet, Jade, Jasmine, Philodendron: Alcohol Spray Protocol

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