Taxonomy order: Hemiptera

Description: Common small sap sucking soft-bodied insects.  Mealybugs are grey / white coloured small soft, oval, wax-covered insects that feed on many garden plants and crops. They can produce abundant honeydew and are often associated with black sooty mold. Mealybugs favour warm weather and thrive in areas without cold winters or on indoor plants. Adult male mealybugs rarer to see, are typically smaller and have two wings.

Distribution on the plant: Usually found in colonies away from direct sunlight. 

Lifecycle: Varies between species. Oftern 2 - 6 generations per year. 

Determent to crops: Sapsucking weakening plants and transmitting plant virus.

Monitoring remarks: Scout manually,  oftern confused with other sap sucking insects such as cottony cushion scale, woolly aphids, and even some soft scales and whiteflies. There are no pheromone products for monitoring purposes.

Action threshold: Small colonies cause minimal detrement to the plants. Wait for high pest pressure before carrying out any insecticide sprays. 

Control general remarks: IPM products such as Saf-T side, Rhizo Protect and Prevail-P can be used to safely control Mealybug. Systemic insecticies can also be effective at controlling Mealybug however are reconmended to be used responsibly.