How to effectively prevent and control mealybugs on Cuban oregano

When your Cuban oregano gets infested with bugs, it really looks terribly ugly. How do you save it?

1. Reasonable pruning and trimming

Mealybugs usually gather on the branches of the plant, so the plant should be trimmed in winter.

Cut back the overly vigorous branches to reduce the density between branches and leaves, improve ventilation and light penetration, and reduce the occurrence of mealybugs.

Cut off the branches with mealybugs to reduce the bug density. As for the cut branches, they must be burned whether or not they have pests.

After trimming, strengthen water and fertilizer management to promote new branch growth and restore the plant to a normal state.

2. Scraping off the insects

In the early stage of infestation, you can remove the insects manually by directly scraping them off with a bamboo strip. During the process, do not puncture the leaves, as this affects plant growth.

3. Protecting and releasing natural enemy insects

This method is not suitable for household pest control. However, if you really can catch one or two, you can still give it a try.

The natural enemies of mealybugs are ladybugs. For example, the Australian ladybird and the large red ladybird are very effective biological control methods. At home, you can also catch ladybugs yourself and put them in the potted plant, and it still works.

4. Chemical control

In the early stage of the disease, that is, when the eggs have just appeared, directly spraying a contact insecticide will do.

When the infestation is severe, you can spray with a 1500-fold solution of omethoate emulsifiable concentrate, once every 5-7 days, and it takes effect after 1-2 sprays.