How to Kill Mealy Bugs

Mealybugs are a gardener's nightmare. According to a South Dakota State University study, almost 300 varieties of the tiny, cotton-ball-like creatures exist. Thankfully, only a few cause problems--the bugs feed on the juice or sap from targeted plants, killing them, and a single female can lay up to 600 eggs at a time.

Various methods can be employed to kill mealybugs, such as luring natural predator wasps, using organic insecticidal soaps, or employing Thai farmers use of placing used coffee grounds around the base of plants before watering. But an even easier remedy sits in the average green thumb's medicine cabinet: rubbing alcohol.

Things You'll Need

• Rubbing Alcohol
• Cotton Balls or Swabs
• Spray bottle

Instructions

Killing Mealy Bugs with Rubbing Alcohol

1. Locate the mealybugs on your plants. Determine whether you have a few bugs, which can probably be dispatched with a cotton ball or swab, or if the plant is covered and needs thoroughly sprayed.

2. If you have a small infestation, dip a cotton ball or swab in rubbing alcohol and apply it directly to the bugs you find on the plant. Hold for several seconds to allow the alcohol to penetrate the bug's waxy outer covering.

3. If dealing with a larger infestation, pour rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle and apply liberally to the plant. Repeat this for five to 10 days.

4. You can remove dead bugs by spraying the plant with water, or by removing them by hand with a pair of tweezers.

Tips & Warnings

• Rubbing alcohol is non-toxic to plants and will not cause any staining on the leaves.

• A single mealybug can resume an infestation. Make sure all bugs are destroyed once you find them on your plants.

References

• Can U.S. Stave Off Hungry Mealybugs?
• Mealybugs on Orchids
• Organic Gardening Products Site

Resources

• Farmers forum