Succulents Covered in Mealybugs? 7 Methods to Clear Them Out in 3 Days
Picking and Killing Method
When there are only a few mealybugs, such as a few plump ones on the stems and the undersides of leaves, and the infestation is not serious, you can use a needle, tweezers, toothpick or other fine, sharp small tool to pick them open and stab them dead.
Water Spraying Method
Use a pressure spray bottle or a tap spray nozzle, aim at the infested area and spray water. If the water flow is strong enough, you can directly wash the mealybugs off the surface, but it will not remove them completely.
Vinegar Method
Dip a cotton swab in vinegar diluted about 500 times, then gently wipe the infested area. This can wipe away and kill the mealybugs, but it only applies when the infestation is not serious.
Alcohol Method
If there are too many mealybugs, densely packed across a large area of the leaf surface, you can dip a cotton swab or a brush in alcohol with a concentration of 75% or above and repeatedly wipe the infested area, which can effectively remove the mealybugs.
Smoke Method
The smoke method means fumigating with mosquito coils. Put the succulent in a larger plastic bag, then put in a coil of mosquito incense. After lighting it, tie the bag opening, leaving a small gap for ventilation. After the mosquito coil burns out, open the bag and you can see a large number of mealybugs dead.
Pesticide Spraying Method
To eradicate mealybugs, you must use insecticide. But for popular products on the market such as Huhuashen and Supusha, Huahua thinks the insecticidal effect is not thorough. It is best to use 40% acetamiprid (Guoguang Jiebizhi) at 2000~3000 times dilution, which can greatly reduce the production of eggs and larvae.
Many gardening friends worry that spraying pesticide will harm the succulents. Huahua suggests mixing the concentration a bit lower than the instructions when spraying, first spraying a small amount on the infested area, and using it after checking the effect. Note: wear a mask when spraying~
Soil Drenching Method
You can directly sprinkle some Dx Xiaobai Yao into the potting soil beside the succulent. According to the diameter of the flower pot, choose 2g per pot or 4g per pot, then place it in a ventilated spot. The effect is good, and the efficacy lasts a long time.
Reminder: when gardening friends buy succulents and bring them home, they must check in advance whether mealybugs are present, otherwise they will spread to healthy succulents.
The methods for removing mealybugs are basically all here
Gardening friends can try them according to the situation
If you have better methods, you can also leave a comment to share them with everyone!