Mealybugs are sometimes difficult insects to control because of their habit of feeding in secluded parts of plants. The first thing you might notice is Sooty Mould building up. Keep an eye out (see Monitor) for Sooty Mould while you are watering your plants. If you find sooty mould, then you should see if you can find what caused it.
Regular monitoring of your plants either indoors or out in the garden, will ensure that a major infestation of Mealybugs doesn’t occur ‘overnight’. Managing Mealybugs is much easier if you can catch an infestation in its early stages. Don’t wait for an infestation to build up to unmanageable levels.
Prevention is always better than cure. The only way Mealybugs can get into your garden or your house is on a plant. Check plants and cuttings for Mealybugs before bringing them into your garden or into your house.
There are several things that you can do to prevent or minimise Mealybug damage (see How to Prevent Mealybugs Appearing). The trick is to not let them build up in such high numbers that they are causing major damage (see Symptoms of Mealybugs).
To treat Mealybugs on indoor and outdoor ornamental plants, as well as vegetables like Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Beans, Peas and Tomatoes, use Yates Baythroid with Yates Advanced Garden Insect Killer. For large infestations, use Yates Nature’s Way Vegie & Herb Spray Concentrate. Mix in a sprayer and spray all surfaces of the plant thoroughly, repeating every 5-7 days if required. These are contact sprays, so ensure you cover the plants and pests thoroughly, including on the undersides of leaves.