Whether you own indoor plants or care for a luscious outdoor garden, you may have been unfortunate enough to discover a colony of mealybugs overtaking your foliage. As tiny as they are, these little insects can inflict severe damage to the plant life in your home. Although they appear quite fuzzy and easily squishable, they are a part of a family of bugs well-known for their protective scales, which can be anywhere on the range from tough armor to cotton-like in texture. No matter where you find one, odds are the little critter isn't alone. They typically appear in large numbers, all working together to extract the nutrients from vegetation, ultimately killing the plants altogether.
You can recognize a mealybug infestation by a few key factors:
- A sticky, sugary fluid starts to appear and nearly covers your plant. This is known as "honeydew" (a fancy name referring to the bugs' waste).
- A substance that appears to be black soot or mold begins to pop up all over your plants. This is a fungus that is known to follow behind mealybug infestations, as it feeds off the honeydew.
- You notice small white masses, almost like tiny bunches of cotton, on various spots of your plants, especially between the fruits or vegetables of garden plants or the "crotches" of the plant. The "crotch" of the plant is where a branching limb of the plant meets the stem.
How exactly do these insects cause so much trouble? Mealybugs extract the sap from your plant by probing into the tissue with their specialized feeding tube. This is lethal to your plants. After a enduring these attacks, your plant will likely die due to the loss of sap. It is imperative to catch these gatherings of mealybugs early on, as they are notably difficult to get rid of once they reach substantial numbers. Such population growth can happen quickly. A single female can lay up to 600 eggs at a time, making it extremely challenging to rid your plant of the outbreak entirely.
If you fail to control the egg stage of the infestation, things can get out of hand and your garden will likely be lost to the colony. This is why so many gardeners opt to throw their plants away instead of putting forth the effort to eradicate the entire mealybug population. Though the circumstances may seem hopeless, you don’t have to give up like most other homeowners.
To entirely rid your home and garden of a mealybug infestation, call the experts at 101 Gopher & Pest Control. We can help you defend your plants from damaging insects such as mealybugs, whether the vegetation is located at your home or commercial property. From burrowing animals to
bird and insect pests, we do it all. Our one-time, monthly, bi-monthly, and quarterly services are supported by over 20 years of experience, licensing, and certifications. When you need pest defense, you can count on 101 Gopher & Pest Control. Get in touch with us today for a free estimate or to schedule your service.
