Mealy bugs are unmanageable - to - control pests that often invade home ficus trees . To prevent and deal with the extensive impairment these pests can cause to the health and esthetic value of your horticulture space , familiarize yourself with what to seem for and how to reply . Once a problem go on , control is a challenge , but there are many methods of regaining the wellness of your beloved ficus Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .

Care

tree of the Ficus genus expose aesthetically pleasing , thick , shining , dark green leaves that make a good increase to both indoor and outdoor environments . Often grown as houseplant due to their simplicity of upkeep , a few venial step are necessary toward ensuring your works ’s heartiness for increased resistance and recuperation from plague infestation . rise your ficus tree diagram in areas that ply full Dominicus exposure , harmonize to the University of Minnesota Extension Service . genus Ficus tree diagram thrive in moist , well - drained ground that is watered systematically once the top few inches of the soil dry out .

Identification

Mealy bugs that you find on ficus Tree display soft bodies cover in a white waxy centre , according to the University of Connecticut IPM . These small pestilence measure 1/8 to 1/4 in in distance . Mealy bugs show up near the land line on works stems . The presence of the 200 to 600 testicle the distaff lays is visible as a cotton - like accumulation on your plant life . Once the eggs hatch , infestation population mount and become plain as it takes only a few weeks for the nymphs to reach maturity , accord to the NC State University Cooperative Extension Service .

Effects

Mealy bugs are sucking insects that thrust through plant tissue paper to suck out the inside fluids , or sap , from the ficus tree diagram plant . These pests produce honeydew melon as they course , a sugary substance that attract and creates an ideal environs for the development of sooty cast . Sooty mold is a fungal infection that cause the presence of a blackish mold on foliation surfaces . Mealy bug plague lead to yellow of leaf and defoliation as well as malformed plant part and , in grave cases , death , fit in to the University of Connecticut IPM .

Natural Control

Natural control is well utilize through the release of the predatory ladybird beetle ( Cryptolamus montrouzieri ) . Ladybird mallet hunt and kill farinaceous bug without damaging your flora or garden , accord to the University of Connecticut IPM . For forcible removal , hock a cloth in a warm solution of soap and water ; wring the cloth out and wipe gritty bugs from the plant surfaces , advises Purdue Extension .

Chemical Control

Chemical control often offers your most effective direction result for this problem , particularly if the mealy bug infestation is stern . If you are growing your ficus trees as indoor plant , spray a chemical substance with the active ingredient fluvalinate at a pace of 1/8 to 5/8 tsp per each gallon of water . If your genus Ficus is an outdoor tree , spray a chemical substance contain the participating element acephate at a rate of 3 tbsp per Imperial gallon of water , according to the NC State University Cooperative Extension Service . Spray your plants once a hebdomad until the plague tapers off .

References

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