Hi Ikram.
Mealy bugs are easy to identify because they look like little whisps of cotton. The only thing you might confuse them with is some kind of mold but they look like the picture below. These little pests chew into new foliage and suck the juice out of the tissues. Affected plants will have the little white pests all over and also have yellowing foliage in the areas where mealy bugs are active.
Treating plants with a mealy bug infestation requires a little trial and error as well as patience. Here's a couple of tips in order of least aggressive to most:
- For light infestations, use a strong spray of water from a water bottle or hose to spray off the bugs. Be careful of course not to damage the plant since most mealy bug infestations are on young tender growth. This technique can be effective if you are persistent and do this a couple times a day.
- Mix a quart of water, 1 teaspoon of insecticidal soap and 1/2 teaspoon hort oil. Use this in a spray bottle and treat the affected areas a couple times a day.
- Go to a garden center and get a stronger insecticide (not really such a great idea) if you just have to save the plant. But it's probably wiser to toss the plant out and start over.
- Consider other plants. Mealy bugs love plants with clear juicy foliage tend to avoid plants with milky or resinous sap. So if you can live without the plant, toss it out.
Hope this helps a little. Patrick
