Comments on: Fuzzy White Bugs on your Basil Plant? Maybe Mealy Bugs

By: Helen Bell

Helen Bell — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:49:31 +0000

Yuk…………. mealy bugs are destroying my hibiscus. killed three plants already. They disappeared during winter but are now back with avengence. Spraying works on the immediate ones present but within a week there are others back again. I’ve never seen them before in the 30 years I have had hibiscus. So this is really annoying. I’ll try the soap and water thing which sounds cheaper and better for the plant than chemicals.

By: cynthia booths

cynthia booths — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:13:15 +0000

help i have these mealy bugs, white fuzzy masses,dandruff looking bugs all over myself nd my house i am getting bit like crazy. it seems like they r coming out of me. help help help

By: berlancourt

berlancourt — Sat, 28 May 2011 18:45:29 +0000

merci, grâce à la photo, j’ai identifié la (ou les ?) cochenilles qui logent dans mon basilic… On va voir ce qu’on peut faire…Merci encore!

By: Jessica Boudreaux

Jessica Boudreaux — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:04:24 +0000

I’ve heard that lady bugs can wipe these pests out. You can order lady bugs online. It’s probably best to put them on the plant outside, as you don’t then want to have a lady bug infestation in your house.

By: Rox

Rox — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:02:16 +0000

OMG now these bugs are grossing me out! I was looking for an answer regarding those white-ish bugs because my cilantro has them. I was squishing them this morning when I first saw them because my cilantro potted plant hadn’t been doing too well until I changed it to another location. Then in the last 3-4 days it had started sprouting new stems again and it was growing prettily… until this morning, ugh! The stems look wilted again and I didn’t know what to do. After having read the posts about mixing dish soap with water, I will do that, and hopefully that’ll be the end of it. I’ll keep you guys posted. On the other hand, I have basil, oregano and Italian parsley and those guys are doing so well, it’s only the cilantro that gave me troubles since day 1 (I am new at growing herbs/plants). They all attract gnats though. Is there anyway to get rid of them? I have my plants in the terrace and I hate bugs.

By: Tiffiny

Tiffiny — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:32:18 +0000

Hi fellow fighters, my Jasmine, climbing rose vine and many other potted friends were all withering away at an accelerated rate. First every bloom dissappeared and then the leaves started to go and soon I had a nice deck full of brown branching sticks. But a regular spray down of 30% Dish soap and 70% water killed off the aphids (which made the ants dissappear) I have new green growth on everything.
I strongly encourage such an easy,safe,affordable treatment. Only warning I saw was to avoid on plants where the temp reaches 90 degrees. Spray both bottom and top of leaves. I did see one mealy bug today but we had a big storm lastnight so everything blew in and the spray had washed away.
I hope this helps you, good luck!

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:04:13 +0000

I had a HUGE infestation of what I think were mealy bugs on my lilacs, rhododendron and azaleas. They were all planted this spring so I think they were particularly easy targets. I started seeing holes in the plants and several of my rhodies slowly died. Tonight after research I started lifting up the leaves and saw white furry bugs (that jump like fleas) and white fuzzy masses on both the underside of the leaves and stems. As per my favorite plant lady at my local Ace Hardware, I mixed a 50/50 solution of dish soap and water. I sprayed everything with it and now I wait. Immediately though, the jumping white fuzzy bugs were scattered around very unhappy. So, maybe it worked. I will let everyone know!

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 02 May 2009 12:28:48 +0000

I’ve never herd of them biting.. But i do know that if they get on you skin they make you itch.. (so they cud be biting)

Cure for itches = rubbing Alcahol or an ointment like Topisolon

By: mary sciambra

mary sciambra — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:42:16 +0000

Have you ever heard of anybody getting bit by one of them? I felt something bite me down by my ankle and when I killed the bug I could see that it looked just like a mealybug, now that I know what they are called. I had them on my mint plants and I did get rid of them by squishing them one by one. My husband says that they don’t bite people but it did bite me and I still have the raised bump on my ankle and it’s itchy.

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:18:10 +0000

I believe i am having the same problem, except their on my pepper plants and in the Caribbean we call them blight.

Anyway, those aren’t white flies, their the same bug and they have wings so the fly around especially when it’s windy and land on plants with soft leave plants, usually.

People have told me to spray them with very lightly mixed soap and water while holding the plant at an angle to prevent much soapy water being absorbed by the soil (especially if in pot).

The method i’ve been doing is washing them off with the hose and my fingers and at times a soft small paint brush(haahaa this sounds sooo wacky)

Their are a few pesticides that kill them without harming the plant but i haven’t ventured to the store out of share laziness.