What to Do About Mealybugs on Houseplants

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Learn how to identify, manage, and prevent mealybug infestations on your houseplants with practical tips for spotting signs early and keeping plants healthy.

If you’ve got little jumping bugs, see these tips for getting rid of fungus gnats.

Dealing With Mealybugs

Mealybugs are one of the more frustrating houseplant pests—and they often seem to appear out of nowhere. At first glance, they look like fuzzy white lint, but they’re actually insects, and a stubborn one at that.

Everyone has certain bugs that give them the creepy crawlies and mealybugs are certainly that for me! The outbreak on the plants pictured here is quite advanced but hopefully you can deal with yours before it gets this far.

Keep reading to learn what mealbugs are, why they’re a problem, and most importantly—how to get rid of them.

What Are Mealybugs?

Mealybugs are soft-bodied insects in the Pseudococcidae family, closely related to aphids. There are thousands of species worldwide, with many kinds present in your local area—even if you never see most of them.

While some attack plant roots (African violets are a favorite target), the ones that feed on the aboveground parts of houseplants are more common indoors.

How to Spot Them

Close up of mealybug on houseplant. — Mealbuy on stem of houseplant

Mealybugs usually appear as fuzzy white flakes or cottony patches on stems and leaves. You might mistake them for mildew at first.

A closer look—possibly with a magnifying glass—will reveal oval-shaped insects, often coated in waxy, white threads. Their egg masses also resemble that same white fluff.

Are Mealybugs Harmful?

Houseplant infested with mealybugs. — This poor houseplant is overrun with mealybugs

In small numbers, mealybugs are usually not fatal to plants. But their feeding habits and the mess they leave behind can weaken your plants, make them look awful, and create other problems.

Here’s what they do:

Feed on sap by tapping into the plant’s phloem tissue (the part that transports sugars).
Weaken plants by stealing energy and nutrients.
Excrete honeydew, a sugary waste product that attracts ants and promotes sooty mold.
Increase risk of disease by making plants more vulnerable to pathogens and other insects.
Spread easily from plant to plant, especially when we bring in new infected houseplants.

Ants often protect mealybugs because they love the honeydew.

Outdoors, natural predators usually keep them in check—but indoors, where there are no such helpers, mealybugs can quickly turn a healthy plant into something scraggly, sad-looking, and coated in white fuzz.

Mealybug Life Cycle and Spread

Mealybug nymphs (crawlers) are the mobile stage and can spread easily from plant to plant. They can hitch a ride on your hands, clothing, or tools.
Adult males can fly, but they don’t feed and only live a few days—just long enough to mate.
Females may lay hundreds of eggs or give birth to live young.
Several generations can occur per year, especially indoors.

How to Get Rid of Mealybugs

Once you spot them, act quickly. One female can lay hundreds of eggs, and populations grow fast.

Ways to Combat Mealybugs on Houseplants

There’s no single method that works in every case, but here are some effective strategies you can try:

Isolate infested plants. Keep them away from your healthy plants to prevent spreading.
Physically remove them. Spray sturdy plants with water to knock bugs off or use a cotton swab or tissue to wipe them away by hand.
Apply diluted rubbing alcohol. Dab individual bugs with isopropyl alcohol using a cotton swab. You’ll likely need to reapply every few days as new ones emerge.
Spray with horticultural or mineral oil. Mix 1–2 tablespoons of oil (such as baby oil) with water and a drop or two of dish soap in a spray bottle. Always test a small patch first, then coat stems and leaves, including the undersides.
Use neem oil. Either form of neem oil—clarified extract or full-spectrum with azadirachtin—can interfere with mealybug feeding and reproduction. This explains the types of neem oil.
Try biological controls. Beneficial insects like green lacewings or “mealybug destroyers” (Cryptolaemus beetles) can devour mealybugs. This method is used in greenhouses but it may not be practical—or desirable—inside the home.
Skip the chemical insecticides. They tend to be ineffective against mealybugs and can cause other harm.

Prevention Tips

The best defense is prevention. Here’s how to avoid future infestations:

Inspect all new plants before bringing them indoors.
Our guide on bringing plants indoors has tips.
Quarantine new arrivals for a couple of weeks.
Keep plants from touching each other, which helps prevent crawlers from moving across leaves.
Clean tools and wash hands before handling each plant.
Monitor plants regularly for signs of trouble.

Mealybugs are persistent, but you don’t have to live with them. With regular monitoring and a few targeted treatments, you can knock down their numbers and keep your houseplants healthy.