How to Get Rid of Mealybugs

Mealybugs are small, sap-sucking insects covered in a white, waxy, cottony coating that makes them look like tiny tufts of lint. They gather in protected spots like leaf axils, stem nodes, and the undersides of leaves, and some species also attack roots below the soil line. As they feed, they drain plant sap and inject saliva that can distort new growth and cause yellowing.

Their waxy coat repels water and many sprays, which is why mealybugs are notoriously stubborn. They also excrete sticky honeydew that coats leaves and invites black sooty mold. A female can lay several hundred eggs in a cottony egg sac, so an unnoticed infestation can spread across a plant and to its neighbors within a few weeks.

Signs to look for

• White, cottony, fuzzy masses tucked into leaf axils, stem joints, and leaf undersides
• Sticky honeydew on leaves and surfaces below the plant
• Black sooty mold growing on the honeydew residue
• Yellowing, curling, or stunted new growth where colonies feed
• Slow-moving, soft-bodied insects that smear when crushed

What causes it

How to fix it

1. 1
   Isolate the infested plant

   Separate it from all other plants right away to stop crawlers from spreading, and check any plant that was touching it.

2. 2
   Dab visible mealybugs with rubbing alcohol

   Touch each cottony cluster with a cotton swab dipped in 70% isopropyl alcohol. The alcohol dissolves their waxy coat and kills them on contact; you will see them turn translucent.

3. 3
   Wash the plant and spray with insecticidal soap or neem

   Rinse the foliage, then spray all surfaces, including leaf axils and undersides, with insecticidal soap or neem oil to reach the smaller crawlers the swab missed.

4. 4
   Inspect and treat the roots if infestation persists

   If a plant keeps reinfesting, unpot it and check for white, cottony root mealybugs. If present, rinse the roots clean and repot in fresh mix and a clean pot.

5. 5
   Repeat every 7 to 10 days until clear

   Eggs and hidden crawlers survive each treatment, so reapply alcohol spot-treatment and sprays weekly for at least three to four weeks until no new bugs appear.

6. 6
   Prune out heavily infested growth

   Cut off and bag stems or leaves that are densely colonized to remove large clusters and egg sacs at once, then keep monitoring the rest of the plant.

How to prevent it

• Quarantine new plants for two to three weeks and inspect leaf axils before grouping them
• Check the crevices and undersides of leaves during routine care, especially on hoyas and succulents
• Avoid heavy nitrogen feeding that produces soft, pest-attracting growth
• Wipe down leaves periodically so colonies cannot establish unnoticed
• Keep plants slightly spaced so touching foliage does not let crawlers move between them