How to Get Rid Of The Mealy Bugs: Best Tips and Tricks to Remove Mealy Bugs Once and For All

Whether you are a beginner and have just started exploring the world of gardening or an expert gardener enjoying the joys of gardening, all of us have faced a similar situation. You must have seen a white substance forming a sheet on your favorite Hibiscus plants or invading your cute little Succulent.

Yup, you all guessed it right: Today we will discuss the 'Mealy bug' situation and How to get rid of nasty Mealy bugs effectively.

How to effectively get rid of Mealy Bugs?

Before starting this post I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to all the corona commandos who are fighting at the frontline against the corona pandemic. I thank every frontline fighter for keeping us safe against the corona. Hello friends. I hope all of you are safe and doing well amid the Corona Crisis. Please practice Social Distancing. Please pray for the safety of others. And stay home, stay safe and stay green :)

How to effectively get rid of Mealy Bugs?

Sure you can add or spray pesticides and get a quick solution to your mealybug problem. But in my experience and my opinion, Instead of directly jumping on the solution, it is always better to have a basic understanding of the problem. This helps us get a clear picture of the underlying root causes and in turn, can prove beneficial in chalking out an effective solution. Plus point is you develop a better bond with your plant baby as you start to understand their problems and treatments. Also, the knowledge you will gain will make you look a Garden Pro. Now let's get back to the Mealy Bug.

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You must have observed that whenever there is a mealybug breakout, an army of ants also starts marching upon your plants. There exists a symbiotic relationship between the mealybugs and ants. Mealybugs colonize your house plants and feed on the essential sugars and other vital nutrients to prepare their food. Ants in turn are attracted to this honeydew and reward the mealybugs with protection. This is the reason why it is very hard to get rid of mealy bugs as ants make sure that they are protected from other predators. Take a look at the Ant-Mealy Bug camaraderie:

How to effectively get rid of Mealy Bugs?

How to Effectively Get Rid of The Mealy Bugs

So now let us cover the solution part. It is very simple to get rid of mealy bugs. Let's look at a few solutions:

Shampoo or Soap Solution: Take 4-5 ml of shampoo or mild soap to one liter of water. Mix it well. Spray it on all the parts of the plant. Make sure you spray it under the leaf also because that is one of the most neglected areas and also the place where mealybug infection starts.

You can adjust the solution strength meaning the volume of shampoo/ soap depending upon the degree of the mealybug infection in your house plants.

How to effectively get rid of Mealy Bugs?

Pro tip: Another important question is When to spray this solution for effective removal of the mealybug? Spray this solution during the late evening. During the day time, plants are busy as a bee preparing their food. That is they are busy performing all the important metabolic processes such as photosynthesis or transpiration. If you spray the prepared solution during this period a layer of shampoo solution gets formed on the leaf surface or stem surface. This will in turn interfere with metabolic processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration. Chances are your plant might die. So it is always better to spray the solution during late evenings.

Also, the next day in the early morning, spray your plant with normal water to clear the shampoo/soap solution.

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Now if you are the kind of person who is very sensitive towards what goes into your plant or soil, then here's what you can use instead of soap/shampoo.

How to effectively get rid of Mealy Bugs?

Vinegar: Again the procedure is the same as mentioned above for the soap/shampoo solution. Take two to three ml of vinegar and add to one-liter water. Spray it nicely on the infected part.

Note: Before using vinegar make sure you check your soil pH. If your soil is too acidic, avoid using vinegar as it might burn your sensitive plants.

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Neem oil: Neem oil is one of the most effective yet under-recognized oils for getting rid of the nasty mealy bugs. It is an all-natural insecticide extracted from the Indian Neem tree. The active compound is known as Azadirachin which is highly concentrated in neem seeds. Azadirachin is widely used for anti-bacterial anti-fungal and pesticidal properties.

 How to effectively get rid of Mealy Bugs?

You can apply neem oil directly onto the affected part. You can also follow the spray method mentioned above. Make sure you don't overdo the neem oil as if the mercury rises beyond a certain temperature, neem oil might lead to plant burn.

Using the Neem oil has tons of benefits: It is all-natural and organic. So it is safe and non-toxic. Plus neem oil also helps the local economy. Thus you can contribute to keeping our endangered environment safe and also be 'Vocal' for the 'Local'

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So that was all about How to effectively get rid of Mealy Bugs. Did you find it helpful? Do you have any questions? Do you have anything to add to the post? Please let us know in the comment section. 

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