Question
The place I work for bought a hibiscus tree and put it in the office. I was looking at it today, and there are very small white little worm things on it. They are not moving, and they are not cotton like in appearance. They start at the trunk of the tree and are on most of the limbs. They come off when I rub the limb with my fingers. Can you tell me what they could be, and how to safely get rid of them? Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Heather,

The Hibiscus has a mealybug infestation. Although mealybugs can be treated (see below), my advice is to return the infested plant to the retailer for an exchange or refund. Retailers should not be selling pest-infested plants.

The difficulty with treating mealybugs is that there are always more to deal with than meets the eye. Young mealybugs lack the telltale cotton-like protective coating and they are skillful at hiding in nooks and crannies where leaves and stems join.

The key to successfully eradicating these creatures is to also spray the ones that are out of sight. That means that whatever treatment you select, you must get complete coverage, to the drip point, of all leaf and stem surfaces. If you miss a few, they will live to breed another day.

I do not recommend any pesticides because they are all hazardous to use and not 100ffective against mealybugs. The best non-toxic treatment for mealybug is called Brand X foliage cleaner (Yes, that's for real). It is available through Southwest Plantscape Products in California (www.southwestplantscape.com ). Their phone is 1-800-333-7977. It is a silicon-based product so it is very slippery. Its ability to penetrate is probably the key to its effectiveness because it gets into the tiny crevices that other sprays miss.

You may want to try spraying with rubbing alcohol. Mix 1 part alcohol with 5 parts of water and add a squirt of liquid soap. Be sure to spray all leaf and stem surfaces thoroughly. The common practice of applying alcohol with a Q-tip is not effective because it misses the ones you can抰 see. It is also best if you repeat this treatment again in 5 to 7 days to catch any crawlers that you missed the first time. After that, you should check your plant weekly to see if they return.

Never spray in direct sunlight or when temperatures are above 75 degrees. It is also advisable to test any spray on a few leaves as a test before you spray the entire plant. Wait a few days following the test to see if there is any negative reaction to the spray.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC