Mealybugs (5711)

Mealybugs have the ability to feed on a wide range of host plants. Foliage plants in greenhouses and interior plantscapes are very susceptible to mealybugs and vegetables such as tomato, cucumber and eggplant can serve as host plants as well.

Mealybugs are part of a family known as scale insects. Mealybugs are not covered with a hard shell like most scales insects, but instead are covered with a white, waxy powder with thread-like projections around the perimeter. This waxy powder can serve as a barrier to effective control with chemicals. Clusters of mealybugs look like a cottony mass. The key to controlling this pest is to detect infestations before they become too dense. Biological controls should be introduced when mealybugs are first spotted at low population levels for the most effective control.

For more information, please see this Penn State Vegetable Gazette page

Penn State Horticulture Department

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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