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Indoor Plant Care
Pest diagnosis · Cited to UC IPM — Mealybugs

Mealybugs on Snow Queen pothos: how to identify and treat

How to identify mealybugs on Snow Queen pothos

White cottony masses in leaf axils, undersides of leaves, and where leaves meet stems. Adult females are oval, wingless and about 1/16 inch long (per UW–Madison Extension). Eggs are laid inside the cottony egg sac.

Damage signs to look for

Yellowing leaves, leaf drop, stunted new growth, sticky honeydew on lower leaves and the pot rim, and black sooty mold growing on the honeydew.

Treatment ladder

  1. 1On small infestations, dab visible mealybugs with a cotton swab dipped in 70% (or weaker) isopropyl alcohol, as UC IPM advises. Test it on a small part of the plant 1 to 2 days beforehand to make sure it doesn’t burn the leaves.
  2. 2For wider infestations, UC IPM suggests spraying a 10–25% isopropyl alcohol solution and repeating every week until the infestation is gone. Insecticidal soap, horticultural oil or neem oil can also suppress mealybugs, especially young nymphs.
  3. 3UC IPM notes that imidacloprid spikes or granules may reduce mealybug crawler numbers. Follow the label, and don’t use them on edible plants.
  4. 4Keep the plant isolated from your other plants until no mealybugs remain.

Prevention going forward

  • Inspect new plants thoroughly, including the soil surface and root crown, before bringing them home.
  • Avoid unnecessary nitrogen fertilizer on plants with mealybugs, as UC IPM advises.
  • Check plants regularly so you spot early stages. UC IPM advises checking new plants weekly, then monthly once several weeks pass with no problems.

Life cycle

Females of most species lay 100–200 or more eggs in a cottony egg sac over 10–20 days, and there can be two to six generations a year. Crawlers (newly-hatched nymphs) are mobile and spread to nearby plants.

Source

Identification, treatment, and prevention guidance per UC IPM — Mealybugs, with other figures from UW–Madison Extension — Mealybugs and UC IPM — Houseplant Problems as named in the text. Always follow the product label when applying any pesticide or horticultural oil.

See also