Mealybugs

Besides being a menace to your plants, flowers, veggies and trees, mealybugs also have an interesting side. Various species of ants actually farm mealybugs in much the same way people farm cows. The ants construct barn-like structures made of plant material and soil to protect the mealybugs. The ants also aggressively defend their mealybug herds from predators and parasites. In return, the ants milk the mealybugs by stroking their abdomen to produce a honeydew substance.

Mealybugs belong to the scale insect group and have a worldwide distribution in all areas except Polar Regions. They are very significant in scope because they attack large numbers of cultivated and ornamental plants. Mealybugs can build up in numbers very quickly and cause considerable damage. They do this damage by inserting their straw-like mouth parts into plant tissue and take plant fluids and nutrients as well as excrete a toxic compound.

One of the results of the mealybugs producing �honeydew� is that this waste product is a perfect growth medium for sooty mold fungi. These molds damage a plant by covering leaves and thus reducing light available for photosynthesis. Eventually, either the plant is stunted and deformed, or it eventually dies.

Life Cycle of Mealybugs:

Most mealybugs species have numerous and often overlapping generations per year. They are highly dependent on temperatures for proper development. If temperatures remain elevated for prolonged periods mealybug populations will substantially decrease.

Eggs can be laid in clusters or singly and some variety of mealybugs can lay between 200-600 eggs in a lifetime. Upon hatching, the juveniles (crawlers) move away from the cocoon and search for suitable sheltered feeding sites. The juveniles progress through 5 moults before reaching adulthood.

Controlling Mealybugs:

Since mealybugs have multiple generations in a year they have the capacity to become resistant to pesticides in short order. By using increasingly stronger pesticides breeds more and more resistant mealybugs. The good news is that mealybugs can be controlled using less aggressive methods such as low toxic pesticides and biological agents. As always, it is a good idea to check with your local county extension agent or local master gardener for advice on the best solutions in your particular region.