The most common yet most terrifying problem that a home gardener faces is an infestation of mealy bugs. The first onset in usually pretty slow and you won't even notice your plants going bad until one day when they do, and you wouldn't have even seen it coming. Is there any way to defend against such a sneaky attack? There is, but only if you know what you're doing! However, before we can get started on how to stop or rid your garden of a mealy bug infestation, let's understand what mealybugs are. Mealybugs appear as white cottony or fuzzy masses on the surface of the plant. They feed on plant sap by digging through the leaf surface with an appendage called the stylets and leave behind a sticky honey-like residue that encourages the growth of molds. On a small scale, this doesn't cause fatal damage to the plant but on a slightly larger scale, it will result in yellowing of leaves, stunted growth or even the death of your beloved plants. The quickest way to find a mealybug infestation is to regularly check all your newly germinated plants because these are the easiest targets. Mealybugs are also often mistaken for a disease or mildew because of their cottony appearance. But once you recognize them correctly, you need to act fast to get rid of the colony before it spreads. Tips on dealing with Mealy Bugs: Firstly, pesticides aren't very effective on mealy bugs as they are usually resistant to their effects. Any pesticides that do work will soon become ineffective as mealy bugs develop their resistance to those. A Q-tip or a cotton bud dipped in rubbing alcohol is the best way of dealing with this kind of infestation. But the bugs have to come in direct contact with the rubbing alcohol. So, check all corners and angles of your plant for white cottony masses and even check the base of the stem as mealy bugs are proficient in hiding. Take the help of beneficial insects like lacewing, ladybugs or the wonderfully named Mealybug Destroyer (scientifically known as Cryptolaemus montrouzieri), as they are natural predators of the mealy bug. Also, keep your plant clean by regularly washing with a plant shine made of Neem Oil or by using powerful bug blasters to hose down pests. This will ensure that your plants remain healthy for longer. A solution of soapy water containing potassium salts is also an effective way of dealing with soft-bodied insects in garden like the mealy bug. But first, test it out on a few leaves as it can damage the plant as well. Watch out for ants! Why? Because they invite mealybug infestations as they love the honeydew residue that mealy bugs leave behind after feeding. So, deal with your ant problem before it also becomes a mealy bug problem! Finally, if the infestation just doesn't go away, then only transplantation can save your plant. First, deal with the mealy bugs on the plant surface with any of the steps as mentioned earlier and then move them to a cleaner pot that you have already checked for mealy bugs. Don't let the mealy bugs scare you again! It's time to start dealing with them.
