If you see cottony masses of insects on the surface of your plants then your plant will show yellowing of leaves and, sometimes the plant may die. This is nothing but a mealybug infestation. How to get rid of mealybugs organically in your indoor plants?
A Straight forward answer should be: Watch out for ants! Why? Because mealybugs secrete honeydew which attracts ants. So, we should deal with the ant problem also. Is there any way to defend against such a sneaky attack?
However, before we can get started on how to stop or rid your garden of a mealy bug infestation. Let us share how to identify a mealybug infestation.
How to Find Out Mealybugs?
Mealybugs appear as white cottony or fuzzy masses on the surface of the plant.
What do they do? they feed on plant sap by digging through the leaf surface with an appendage called the stylets and leave behind a sticky honey-like residue that encourages the growth of molds. On a small scale, this doesn’t cause fatal damage to the plant but on a slightly larger scale, it will result in yellowing of leaves, stunted growth or even the death of your beloved plants.
How Do You Get Rid of Mealybugs?
You tried many chemicals and other natural ways to get rid of mealy bugs but mealybugs can create resistance to insecticides. Other natural methods may not show effectiveness in killing the mealybugs.
Some pesticides can give a bad odour that you cannot bear inside your home. What is the solution? Then you should go for an organic solution to get rid of these cotton masses.
Usually, bio-pesticides are nothing but organic way that have several advantages over synthetic ones; most importantly they are cost-effective and eco-friendly. The total world production of biopesticides is over 3000 tonnes/year, which is increasing at a rapid rate. India has a vast potential for bio-pesticides. Recently biopesticides usage in India raised 23% while chemical pesticides only 2%. By seeing this you might have thought to choose an organic solution. Let’s see what is that organic solution.
Verticilium lecanii: Why it’s the Best Organic Solution to Get Rid of Mealybugs in Indoor Plants?
A Case Study
According to some research Verticillium lecanii application saved the grape plants from the mealybug infestation. In this experiment, it showed the highest mortality of mealybugs. Verticillium lecanii not only controls the mealybugs but it also controls the whiteflies, jassids and aphids.
Here there is a Criyagen Verticillium lecanii a naturally occurring entomopathogenic fungi that acts as bio-control against not only the mealybugs it also the whiteflies, thrips, aphids and jassids.
How to Get Rid of Mealybug in 6 Steps With Criyagen Verticilium lecanii?
Let’s see how Criyagen Verticilium lecanii efficiently works on the insect in 6 steps:
- Introduction of Verticillium lecanii: It is composed of spores and mycelia fragments of Verticillium lecanii.
- Contact and Germination: When these spores come into contact with the outer layer (cuticle) of the target pest insect, it’s like planting a seed. They germinate, kind of like how a seed sprouts into a plant.
- Infiltration: Here’s where things get interesting. The fungus grows directly through the spiracle, which is like the insect’s breathing hole, piercing through the skeleton and getting into the inner body of the insect.
- Feeding and Proliferation: Once inside, it starts feeding on the insect, taking all the nutrients it needs to live.
- Colonization: As it feeds and grows, it spreads throughout the insect’s body.
- Draining and Death: Eventually, the insect becomes drained of all its nutrients. It’s like the fungus has sucked it dry, leaving nothing behind. And sadly, the infected insect meets its death.How do you get rid of mealybugs, aphids, whiteflies, and jassids on plants naturally? We would say to try Verticilium lecanii.
How do you get rid of mealybugs, aphids, whiteflies, and jassids on plants naturally? We would say to try Verticilium lecanii.
How to Use Criyagen Verticilium lecanii ?
- Seedling dip: 1 litre in 10 liters of water.
- Drenching: 1 litre in 100-200 liter of water and 500 ml solution near the root zone.
- Drip irrigation: 1 litre in 100 liters of water.
- Soil application: 1 litre with 100kg compost for 1 acre of land.
Coming to the final thoughts, fighting against mealybug infestations in indoor plants requires a strategic and organic approach. Criyagen Verticillium lecanii emerges as a powerful natural solution that effectively targets not only mealybugs but also other common pests like aphids, whiteflies, and jassids. Its mode of action showcases its efficiency in pest control. By incorporating this organic solution into pest management routines through various application methods, gardeners can protect their beloved indoor plants while maintaining a sustainable and environmentally conscious approach to gardening.
Learn more about other cost-saving organic solution from our other blog
