Mealybugs
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Mealybugs  The adult female Mealybug is small, up to a 1/4in.(3mm) long, and powdery grey or grey-white. Eggs are laid in batches of 100-150 with protective covering of wooly wax. Newly hatched mealybugs crawl over plants for a few days then settle down to feed. Adults males have wings and can appear in large numbers during the treeding season. Populations are usually highest in the late autumn and early winter. In very cold areas they are restricted to greenhouses, but in warmer areas they spread outdoors. Breeding can be continuous in greenhouses and in the homes. Mealybugs get their name because the white wax on their bodies makes them look like they were rolled in flour. Infested are typically covered with white “fluff” mealybugs produce that helps protect them from excessive heat, and moisture loss. Mealybugs are common pests of greenhouse and stored plants. They feed on plants by inserting long strawlike mouthparts (called stylets) into plant tissue. Besides producing a white wax, mealybugs secrete a sticky honeydew that adheres to leaf surfaces and attracts unsightly dust and molds. Susceptible Plants- String beans and soybeans, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, assava, coffee, cacao, citrus,. and guava.
Symptoms- Adults and mealybug larvae feed on the undersides of leaves, leaving lacy looking patches on the leaf surface. Severely defoliated plants may be killed.
Prevention and Control- Plant early season bush beans to avoid main beetle generations. Plant soybeans as trap crops, then destroy them when infested with larvae. Handpick mealybug larvae and adults daily in small bean patches.
Cover crops with row cover or mesh until plants are large enough to withstand damage. Dig in crop residues as soon as plants are harvested.. Attract native predators by leaving flowering weeds between rows or by interplanting flowers and herbs. Biological Control- Release Green Lacewing Eggs to control early generation mealy bugs, release parasitic wasps when the weather warms. Mealybug Predators: Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Pesticide Spray- Use Bonide Bon Neem to distrub the waxy coating covering the mealy bug colonies before spraying SucraShield Sugar-Based Insecticide / Miticide
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