IN THE GARDEN: Mealy Bugs

by Chuck McClung

Mealy bugs are common houseplant pests. They look like little white, cottony, fuzzy things that can reside anywhere on your plant, the pot rim, stake, or even the plant tag. Like most houseplant pests, as opposed to diseases, they don’t immediately hurt a plant; they are “sucking” critters that slowly zap the energy of a plant. Besides, they make a plant look icky.
It seems mealy bugs are harder to get rid of these days; perhaps the fuzziest ones are “the strongest that have survived”, because most commercial sprays, organic or otherwise, when used casually do not penetrate the “fuzz.” So how does our plant get mealy bugs and how do we get rid of them?
Mealy bugs like most other houseplants pests (scale, aphids, and white flies) occur randomly. You didn’t do anything to your plant to cause this pest to occur. Mealy bugs are tropical to subtropical critters.Because we’re growing our houseplants “unnaturally,” in containers and away from their native habitat, mealy bugs’ natural predators are absent. Believe it or not, mealy bugs, like many houseplants pests, are transmitted on our clothes when we visit other places with mealy bugs.
Some will say, “I bought a plant at such and such nursery, and it got mealy bugs and infected all my other plants. I’m never going there again.”
I’d respond, “How much time elapsed between the time you bought it and the time you first saw mealy bugs”.
“After only one or two weeks.”
“Did you go outside, to a friend’s house, to the mall or to the grocery store during that week?”
“Well yes, of course.”
“Then you have no idea of the actual origin of your particular mealy bugs.”
Or I’ll hear, “Well, it had mealy bugs when I bought it.”
“Then why did you buy it?”
Many public places with houseplants have small populations of mealy bugs. It’s unfortunate that big box stores have no-questions-asked-guarantees on plants. Frankly, I believe these blanket return policies are breeding a lazy type of gardener who believe that if anything goes wrong with the plant, it’s the nursery’s/store’s fault.
The fact is mealy bugs are a reality when it comes to houseplants, especially cacti and “woody” houseplants like gardenias, hibiscus, ficus, and citrus. The best remedy is to pay attention to your houseplants. Actually look at them a few times a week – really look at them – give them attention. In this way you can spot mealy bugs before they become an unholy infestation.
If you want to rid of mealy bugs, you can use organic and non-organic (systemic) controls. Systemic insecticides make the plant toxic to anything and can’t be used on plants grown for eating purposes, like citrus. Read the entire instruction label first. Do not just spray one time and expect the problem to go away.  Organic controls break down quickly, do not have a “residual effect,” which is a good thing, and must be reapplied.
Remember, mealy bugs often travel on your clothes. So if you don’t want houseplant pests and you don’t want to use chemicals, lock your doors, shut your windows, don’t go outside, don’t go to restaurants, don’t go to grocery stores, and certainly don’t let your friends come over, and you should be houseplant pest free.
For more information on houseplants, I’ll be giving a couple of free seminars, “Helpful Houseplant Hints” at Bakerview Nursery (945 E. Bakerview Rd., Bellingham) on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 11 a.m. and again on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 11 a.m. I’ll discuss easy–to-grow houseplants, proper soil, repotting, fertilizing, and of course how to get rid of mealy bugs. See you there.
Chuck is the owner of Fantastic Gardens and helps others solve their outdoor and indoor gardening dilemmas. You can reach him at orchidfruit@hotmail.com.