How to Get Rid of Mealybugs in House Plants

Mealybugs are pale, powdery-looking bugs that are a common insect pest amongst houseplants. The bugs suck the juices from a houseplant's stems and foliage, causing wilting, yellowing and plant death if untreated. The bugs also move from plant to plant, eventually decimating your entire houseplant population. Kill and control mealybugs on your houseplants to protect your indoor garden.

Things You'll Need

• Bucket
• Cotton swabs
• Rubbing alcohol
• Insecticide
• Spray bottle
• Liquid dish soap
• Biological control agent

Instructions

1. Place the houseplants in your shower or outside. Shoot them down with strong blasts of water to knock off the mealybugs. This effectively controls and limits mealybug infestations in preparation for more thorough eradication techniques.

2. Remove any remaining mealybugs manually if the infestation is minimal. Pluck the bugs off the plant's stems and leaves and drop into a bucket of water. Alternatively, dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and dab it onto the mealybugs to kill them quickly.

3. Spray the houseplant with a permethrin- or rotenone-based insecticide intended for houseplant use. This option is ideal for heavy mealybug infestations. Mist your entire plant according to the product's guidelines, as insecticide toxicity varies widely by product.

4. Mix your own homemade insecticide if you want to avoid using potentially toxic chemical-based insecticide. Pour 1 quart of hot water into a plastic spray bottle. Add 2 tbsp. liquid dish detergent. Close the bottle and shake it to mix thoroughly. Spray onto your houseplants. The soap kills the mealybugs while deterring future infestations. Repeat once a week until all the mealybugs are dead.

5. Release a predatory bug, such as the mealybug predator (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri), onto your houseplants if you want an all-natural and low-effort method of mealybug control. Such biological control agents may be obtained from specialty garden stores and some nurseries. Set the affected plants outside and release the predatory bugs, which will search out and attack any mealybugs on your houseplant.

Tips & Warnings

• Inspect new houseplants carefully for insect pests, as this is the most common manner of introducing new pests to your existing houseplants.

References

• The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual; Barbara Pleasant; 2005.
• Book of Houseplants: The Green Thumb Guide to Easy Indoor Gardening; Reader's Digest Publishing; 2008.