Dear All, Do you guys/gals have any idea what are these? Its infesting my plants and most importantly, how do i get rid of them? Thanks. Regards, Kamen
Dgarlock: I agree it does look like mealybugs. They usually respond to a light oil treatement (JMS stylet oil for example) for control. This smothers them by plugging up thier spiracles.
As a "Bug Doctor" (Entomologist), I agree that from the picture the critters look like mealy bugs. Tim Yoho
They definately are mealy bugs - i have a garden full of them. Did you find a way to get rid of them for good?
Try the oil that I mentioned earlier. Also., if you can find an insectary that supplies predators, look for "Mealybug destroyer" a coleopteran that can be effective. Washing with a garden hose may also help. There are some parsitoids that will work on mealybug but they are probably hard to find and purchase form an insectary. Also get rid of any ants that you might see by any means possible. They are symbiotic with mealybugs and provide protection for them. Getting rid of the ants can help in reducing the mealybug population. After these methods the alternatives that are left involve some pretty harsh pesticides. DG
I have never heard of that oil before but maybe I will do a search on the internet. I live in Dubai as well so that stuff can be hard to find. The ant comment is absolutely true - there are always ants around the mealy bugs - eating that sticky stuff they produce I suppose. I don't think we can get rid of the ants - they are everywhere and we are used to living with them. The mealy bugs are something terrible though. In the past I tried a cotton swab with alcohol and that works - just tough to apply over a large area. Thanks for the help!
By the way - do you know how to get rid of leaf minor as well? Mealy bugs and leaf minor ruin plenty of my plants ...
HO forgot to mention the name of the oil. Here in California it is called JMS stylet oil. I believe it is a vegetable based oil and quite safe to use. However don't mix it with sulfur as it will burn up your plants.
They are Mealy bugs and can be controlled with Cryptolaemus Beetles (a member of the ladybug family) and Green Lacewings - both can be purchased. If you have a hard time finding a supplier, let me know and I'll see what I can find out. You can get more info on beneficial insects at www.usagardener.com