Question
When i took a cotton swab there are gold colored things. Are they mealybugs? There are on all the leafs and blooms. Is there hope for my 8 plants? Blooms are yellow and purple.
This is my first time asking a question. I hope you can help. Thank you, Barbara in San Diego.

Answer
Barbara, glad you asked. Mealy bugs are like cottony growths but are insects that quickly reproduce.  On single plants, I recommend cotton swabs soaked in rubbing alcohol. The alcohol will cause them to turn a yellow brown. Remove all that you see in this manner and that is the start of your treatment.  Next, you will need to spray each plant with a suitable fungiciade-- preferably outside in a shaded location.  I recommend systemic insecticides that are absorbed into the plant tissue and kill any insects that suck the plant tissues.  A couple of more recent insecticides for this purpose are "Merit" and "Bayer Advanced Garden", but your local garden center may have others.  After treatment, you will need to remain vigilant as there are eggs and young in the potting mix that can still result in future adult insects.  Remove any adults in the future with a q-tip soaked in alcohol and respray the plants at one month intervals until the plants are pest free for two months.