How to Control Mealybugs in Vegetables & Kitchen Garden

Mealybugs come under the insect order Pseudococcidae. Many of the Mealybugs species feed on plant parts and leads to economical loss of the agricultural produce. Mealybugs are not harmful to humans. They reproduce in soil and crawl on to the plants during adult stages. Mealybugs are nowadays a major problem in Agri farming as well as in urban kitchen and terrace gardens. Mealybugs attack and cause damage to vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Hence we should always be aware of the mealybug infestation. One can control Mealy bugs easily in the following ways.

Many Plant Lovers want to know about

• What causes mealybugs on plants?
• Are mealybugs harmful to humans?
• Will vinegar kill mealybugs?
• Home remedy for mealybugs.
• Where do mealybugs come from?
• How do you control mealybugs naturally?
• Will dish soap kill mealybugs?
• How do mealybugs spread?
• Mealybugs on outdoor plants.

As per the request of many of our subscribers, in this post, we will let you know all the details and queries regarding Mealybugs control and management on plants. Hence have a glance at the below information.

Symptoms and Signs of Mealybugs on Plants

            One can see a white to light grey color with smoothed and tough bodied insects on plants known as Mealybugs. They are slow and suck the cell sap from the plant parts viz., stems, leaves, flowers as well as fruits. They cause heavy economical damage to fresh produce. Sometimes, mealybugs are also seen in a symbiotic relationship with red ants.

Different Mealybugs Treatment/ Mealybugs Control:

Chemical control of Mealybugs

Control mealybugs by spraying any of the following insecticides.

• Buprofezin 25.00% SC @2ml/lt water or
• Dimethoate 30.00% EC @ 5ml/lt water or
• Methomyl 40.00% SP @2ml/lt water or
• Buprofezin 20.00%+Acephate 50.00% w/w WP @2.5 gm/lt water.

The above are the best chemical insecticides for Mealybug control.

Non-Chemical control of Mealy bugs

• Handpicking of mealybugs and destroy them.
• Apply sticky bands on the main stem/ bark to prevent crawlers of mealybugs from reaching the top bunch. 
• Furthermore, in Mango and Guava crops, fastening of alkathene sheet (400 gauge)/grease band of 25 cm wide plastering of the trunk at 30 cm above the ground helps to prevent juvenile mealybug to reach plant and thereby minimize infestation.

Organic Control of Mealybugs

• Release Mealybug predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Australian Ladybird beetle) @ 1200/ac.
• However, fungal biological agents’ viz.,  Verticillium lecanii and Beauveria bassiana are effective in managing the Mealybug infestation.  
• We can also spray Neem oil 1500 ppm @5-7 ml/lt water.

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If you furthermore queries regarding How to get rid of Mealybugs, comment below.