Mealybugs

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Mealybugs
Description of Pest	Description of Damage
These oblong, waxy white, hairy-looking insects move very little and mature slowly.	Mealybugs live in colonies and stem joints and suck plant juices. Pale foliage, leaf drop and stunted growth are common. They carry fungus and disease.
Methods of Control: Manual removal works well if there are just a few. You can slide a fingernail under the insect to lift it off or touch a mealybug with a Q-tip moistened with alcohol to kill it. Homemade sprays work well. Choose a recipe that contains rubbing alcohol and spray at intervals of five to ten days. Soap-Shield kill mealybugs in a day or two. Spray at five to ten day intervals. Diatomaceous earth kills aphids, but will also harm beneficial insects.