How do I control mealybugs on a houseplant?
Mealybugs on houseplants are difficult to control. Unless the plant is particularly valuable, it may be best to throw away the infested plant before the insects spread to other houseplants. The standard remedies for houseplant pests can be successful if applied with diligence and persistence. Picking off individual mealybugs and egg sacs or dabbing each one with an alcohol-soaked cotton swab may be satisfactory for lightly-infested plants. Similarly, syringing the plants with a forceful spray of lukewarm water may dislodge a light mealybug infestation. Mealybugs also can be controlled with insecticide sprays. Use aerosol or hand pump spray products made just for houseplants. These may contain any of several different ingredients, including insecticidal soaps, pyrethrin, neem or a synthetic pyrethroid, such as permethrin, bifenthrin or resmethrin. Granular insecticides that you apply to the soil of infested houseplants also may be effective. Use with caution and read and follow all labe
