Mealy Bug Control

Mealybugs can damage plants by extracting sap, causing deformation and stunting or yellowing of leaves. This can impact yield, and many plants will lose flowers and fruit as a result of a mealybug infestation. They are usually only found on houseplants and greenhouse plants.

Most species of mealybug will feed on the plant leaves and stems, but others will attack plant roots, while some can transmit harmful viruses. They can also excrete honeydew which can attract dark sooty mould, further impacting plant health due to reduced photosynthesis ability.

Identifying Mealybug Damage

You are likely to see a fluffy cotton white wax-like substance on plant leaves and leaf axils, as well as black sooty mould produced as a result of the honeydew excreted from sap sucking.

You may notice the mealybugs slowly crawling underneath leaves, on flower stems and sometimes on the outside of containers. Most often however, you will see them at rest.

Damaged plants will show poor growth and may have yellowing leaves. You may also see die-back, or in extreme cases, mealybugs can cause the death of the entire plant.

What is Biological Mealybug Control?

Biological controls are non-chemical treatments that rely on the natural enemies of pests. In the case of mealybug control, the natural predator is Cryptolaemus montrouzieri.

Cryptolaemus montrouzieri is a polyphageous predator meaning it feeds on many different types of prey. They are a species of beetle – also known as a mealybug ladybird - that will seek out mealybugs and feed on all stages of its lifecycle including eggs, larvae and adult mealybugs.

Their bodies are covered with waxy projections that make them resemble their prey. The adult beetle is about 4mm long, dark brown in colour with an orange head. One larva can eat more than 250 mealybug larvae.

Storage

• After delivery, please check the product for abnormalities and report any issues to Agrigem within 24 hours.
• As this product is perishable, it is preferable to use immediately after receipt, but always within 48 hours. If you are not using the product immediately, store between 10C and 15C and keep the bottle horizontal.
• Do not expose the product to sunlight or pesticides.
• If the product is stored longer and/or differently to the above, Agrigem will not be liable for loss of quality.

Application

• Keep products in a horizontal position.
• Use within 48 hours of receipt.
• Introduce when the first mealybugs appear.
• Open the bottle in the crop and release the Cryptolaemus montrouzieri predators directly on to the crop where mealybugs are present.
• Release them early in the morning or at sunset.
• Do not expose to sunlight or other pesticides.
• For further advice or guidance contact our specialists on 01522 246491.