If you struggle to keep the local mealybug population in check, you’re not alone; the mealybug is a true plant pest. How do mealybugs spread, and what can you do to stop it? Learn how to spot a mealybug infestation, identify common mealybug species, and, most importantly, take steps to prevent them from spreading to every plant you own.
Mealybugs are nature’s hitchhikers. Most plant enthusiasts have frequent encounters with these determined harassers and have no clue how to stop them. Mealybugs in large numbers overwhelm organic life by damaging the tissue, causing leaf death, and eventually, killing the poor plant itself.
Mealybugs cause millions of dollars in damage to the crop sector every year. They attack all kinds of plants and are a severe economic and horticultural pest. Mealybugs also secrete a sticky slime called honeydew that attracts invasive sooty mold infestations. Discover how to control these aggressive intruders safely and effectively with our garden guide to mealybugs.
Can Mealybugs Spread to Other Plants?
Mealybug infestations are frustrating, and it may seem like you can’t make any progress against their rapid reproduction rate and mysterious ability to disseminate across every plant in the house.
How do mealybugs spread from plant to plant, and is there any way to stop them from consuming your favorite foliage? Find out how to rid your life of mealybugs with our in-depth guide to all things mealie.
Learn what kind of mealybugs you have and how to eliminate them. This article includes helpful tutorials that help you learn how to make neem mixtures and DIY insecticidal soap. Why wait for the mealybugs to come to you?
How Do Mealybugs Spread?
There are many kinds of mealybugs, over 2,000 in total, and approximately 275 species live in America. Mealybugs are seasoned travelers that use clever tricks to catch a ride to greener pastures.
Mealybugs travel either by short or long-distance dispersion. Short-distance dispersion is usually by air current, ant colony movement, and general farm labor. Long-distance distribution is generally through the transportation of infested plant matter and organic material like raw cotton.
The mealybug’s ability to procreate rapidly means you’re bound to run into a few of them as an avid gardener. Female mealybugs lay close to 600 eggs in their lifetime. Once the young emerge from the cottony egg sac, they immediately start to feed on the host plant. Can mealybugs spread to other plants? We’ll cover that next.
How Do Mealybugs Spread From Plant to Plant?
Can mealybugs spread to other plants, and if so, how do mealybugs spread from plant to plant undetected? Sometimes the most straightforward answer is the right one. The secret truth is that mealybugs crawl from one plant to another.
Female mealybugs are wingless. The adult mealybug uses its tiny legs to scurry between neighboring plants by capitalizing on overlapping branches. The female mealybug then lays eggs and continues the cycle of infestation. This system allows the mealy bug to spread from one infected plant to another in virtually no time.
Common Mealybugs – The Citrus Mealybug
The citrus mealybug, or Planococcus citri, is native to Asia but has been a recognized agricultural blight throughout Europe since 1813 and 1879 in America. The citrus mealybug is a virulent greenhouse pest and one of the world’s most widely recognized mealybug species.
Adult citrus mealybugs reach 4.5 mm long, and their bodies look white and waxy once mature. This variety of scale insect lives for 30 days and lays approximately 30 eggs per day. Citrus mealies lay eggs in white cottony masses or ovisacs. The eggs are light yellow, appear glossy, and hatch within ten days under normal conditions.
When the young hatch, they make homes on the undersides of infested plant leaves and inside fruit buttons. While mealybugs aren’t picky eaters, citrus mealies love grapefruit and also display a deep desire to consume ornamental plants like many lily, spider plant, and succulent varieties.
The best way to control a citrus mealybug infestation is with predaceous insects from your local garden center.
Long-Tailed Mealybug
Pseudococcus longispinus, the common long-tailed mealybug, gets its name from the two long filaments extending from its abdomen. This distinguishing feature helps identify it among the other mealybug varieties lurking in your houseplants and outdoor garden.
The male mealybug exists solely to fertilize the female; this is the same across almost all mealybug species. However, the longtailed mealybug is unique because it doesn’t have a hatching stage. Instead, young hatch upon being deposited and begin their life cycle immediately.
The long-tailed mealybug loves tropical fruits and ornamental plants and, like aphids, has piercing mouthparts to feed upon affected plant tissue.
Systemic insecticides or insecticides that circulate throughout the host plant are an effective way to manage the long-tailed mealybug. Look for all-natural or food-safe insecticides, and always follow the manufacturer’s directions for safe use.
Mexican Mealybugs Like the Heat
As the name suggests, the Mexican mealybug hails from Mexico and has spread worldwide as many mealybug species do through agricultural trade. The Mexican mealybug thrives in temperate, subtropical parts of America, like Tennessee, Texas, and Florida, and eats outdoor plants like chrysanthemums, geraniums, and English ivy.
The Mexican mealybug, or Phenacoccus gossypii, lives for 60 days and lays 400 eggs. The eggs hatch in 14 days and feed on plant leaves immediately. The dense white egg sacs are easy to spot. Insecticidal soaps and horticultural oil mixtures are the best way to fight the Mexican mealybug in your house and garden.
To make a well-measured neem oil mixture, use one teaspoon of pure cold-pressed neem oil, one teaspoon of mild soap like Castile soap, and four cups of water to create a slow-release insecticidal spray.
Use the spray bi-weekly and avoid areas where beneficial insects gather. While neem oil is considered safe, it doesn’t discriminate between helpful and harmful insects.
The Root Mealybug or Soil Mealybug
Root mealybugs, also called soil mealybugs, are tiny little invaders that live in the soil and feed on vulnerable plant roots. Root mealies are small, typically one-third the size of your average citrus or Mexican mealybug – many gardeners say the root mealybug looks like a grain of rice.
The root mealybug loves houseplants and can survive on any indoor plant. It’s often hard to tell that you have root mealybugs because they’re deep in the soil. The root mealybugs are visible only once the plant dies and the pot is cleaned.
Unfortunately, the only way to save a severely infested houseplant is to take a cutting and dispose of the rest in an outdoor trash receptacle. Often, even thorough sanitation and applying natural insecticide aren’t enough to destroy root mealybugs and rescue the plant. It’s best to cut your losses and try again.
Homemade Insecticidal Soap for Mealybugs
How do mealybugs spread? The simple answer is by way of hitchhiking on agricultural products and infested greenhouse plants. If you bring a new plant into your house without knowing it’s infested, your entire houseplant collection is suddenly fighting off a mealybug problem.
Regarding a severe mealybug infestation, most experts recommend a multi-pronged approach to pest control called integrated pest management, which means using natural, non-invasive strategies in cooperation with each other to control mealybugs.
Whether dealing with the citrus mealybug or a vine mealybug, insecticidal soap is a top choice. Mix an all-natural soap like Castile soap with olive oil and a gallon of clean water – achieve a 2% solution per gallon. Spray the insecticidal soap in the early morning, watch your plant for signs of distress or improvement, and adjust the mixture accordingly.
Mealybugs are a serious concern for indoor and outdoor plants. Proper prevention requires careful observation and diligent dedication to your garden. How do mealybugs spread? Mealies arrive by air, crop disturbance, infested nursery soil, and recently shipped agricultural goods.
It’s not entirely possible to prevent mealybugs. Still, you can fight them using all-natural solutions like botanical insecticides and horticultural oils and increasing the natural predator population in your garden with a mealybug destroyer plan. These methods all work together under an umbrella called integrated pest management.
Use any natural means at your disposal to spot and eliminate mealybugs around your houseplants and outdoor spaces. Check the undersides of your plant leaves regularly, and you should have no trouble keeping the mealies away. Isolate new plants from established plants, and keep a hose handy to spray pesky mealybug eggs as soon as you see them.
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