Treating Mealybugs and Whitefly Larvae on Pygmy Date Palms with Horticultural Oil

Sticky White Masses on New Growth

The "sticky white stuff" is either mealybugs or whitefly larvae (crawlers). Both are controlled the same way.

Oil Treatment

1. Spray horticultural oil (not dormant oil) in late afternoon.
2. Next morning, before sun hits the fronds, rinse thoroughly with a high‑pressure nozzle.
3. Repeat in 7‑10 days if infestation is heavy.

The oil suffocates the insects; the rinse removes the protective wax and dead bodies, preventing reinfestation.