CONCERN: What is a small white bug that appears like cotton? I have these on my houseplants, and I am worried. What should I do about them?– Elisabeth M
GARDENING CHANNEL RESPONDS: The white plant lice that appear like cotton on houseplants are most likely mealybugs. Mealybugs offer the look of lint due to a waxy external residue that they produce for camouflage and security. Beneath that coat the mealybug looks a lot like an ancient trilobite that you may have seen in fossils, however they are undoubtedly much smaller sized.
There are a number of methods to eliminate mealybugs on houseplants.
You can attempt neem oil, a natural item from the neem tree that can combat bugs. Insecticidal soap likewise aids with mealybugs. Some individuals like to get a cotton ball and soak it with isopropyl alcohol and clean it on all the mealybugs they can discover on the plant, which eliminates them instantly. (Test initially on simply a little part of your plant to ensure the alcohol does not burn the plant.) Chemical insecticides made particularly for houseplants will likewise work to eliminate them. As soon as once again, take care and do not over use.
