Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Plant Species >> Orchids

Mealybug Infestation on Phalaenopsis: Identification and Treatment

Symptoms

White powdery spots on leaf undersides and crown, sticky residue (honeydew), spreading despite isolation.

Treatment

Use systemic insecticide labeled for mealybugs (absorbed into tissue, kills feeding insects). Rubbing alcohol on cotton swabs removes visible bugs but won't eradicate all.

Persistence

Sticky substance is plant sap; wipe with soapy cloth to deter secondary pests.

Orchids: Encouraging Blooms on a Mature Phalaenopsis Orchid; Mealybugs on Orchids: Identification, Treatment & Root Rot Prevention; Post-Keiki Removal: When Will My Orchid Bloom Again?; Orchid Keikis: What They Are, When to Remove & How to Pot Successfully; Dying Orchid with No Leaves: Crown Rot Likely Fatal; Phalaenopsis Dormancy Myth: They Don't Need a Rest Period; Rescuing Walmart Phalaenopsis: Yellow Leaves, Root Rot & Repotting Timing; Rescuing a Sick Phalaenopsis: Repotting from Soggy Roots; Cut Orchid Spike with Bud in Water: Will It Root?; Phalaenopsis Spike Browning: Genetics, Not Neglect

Garden Articles

Limp Orchid Petals: Root Health & Repotting Fix

Pruning Tall Dendrobium Canes: Keiki Potential

Reviving Neglected Office Orchid: Basal Growth Hope

Unidentified Orchid Decline: Need Species ID for Diagnosis

Dividing a Large Cymbidium: Pseudobulb Division Technique

Phalaenopsis Keiki on Flower Spike: When and How to Separate

First Orchid Care: Normal Bloom Aging and the Critical Annual Repotting Rule

Plants

Troubleshooting Tomato Leaf Discoloration and Stunting: Nutrients, Nematodes, and Viruses

Replanting Dogwood After Fungal Loss: Site Preparation and Tree Selection

Marigold Wilt Not Responding to Dimethoate: Bacterial Wilt or Other Fungus—Try Neem, Then Replace

Phalaenopsis Spike Retention and Reblooming: Bloom Booster Fertilizer and Light Keys

Brown Bumps Under Orchid Leaves: Scale Insect Identification and Eradication

Inherited Large Orchid: To Repot or Not?

Deciduous Dendrobium Leaf Drop and Scale Insect Treatment