Say a final goodbye to those mealy bugs that are constantly hampering the growth of your garden plants and houseplants. Do you know about mealy bugs and their nasty effect on your garden? To be precise, hundreds of species of insects like mealy bugs are found in North America in huge numbers. They usually trigger damage to your house plants by inhaling all their juice. They are also responsible for restricting the new growth of plants which is a grave concern. To tackle those mealy bugs, one can use natural remedies including oils.
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Yes, you heard that right. An oil that performs remarkably well and shows results over some time is known to eradicate mealy bugs. What is this oil all about? Well, it is none other than the very famous and holy grail of many people out there, Neem oil. Neem oil is an antibacterial oil that ideally eliminates mealy bugs and reduces its consequences on your plants. In the upcoming section, we will explore the origin of mealy bugs along with the efficacy of neem oil for the same.
What Are Mealy Bugs?
To begin with, mealy bugs are very tiny and oval-shaped insects that are mature to suck out the good juices in your plants. Also, these bugs usually leave a sticky residue on the plant which is hideous. While they look like cotton balls and are white, they can be identified very easily, especially when they sit on the stems or leaves of the plant.
Additionally, these mealy bugs come from the Pseudococcida family and they usually eat the sap of the plant. Studies have found that different types of mealy bugs can hamper the growth of your plants. But the common ones are the long-tailed mealy bugs and the citrus mealy bugs.
The female mealybug is a fast one when it comes to reproduction. It usually lays more than 500 to 600 eggs which can hatch in 3-4 days. Yes, you heard that right. Once the mealy bugs lay eggs, they multiply in around 7 weeks and can perpetuate themselves countlessly. No wonder the life cycle of mealy bugs is quite short but they are countless in numbers.
Neem Oil For Mealy Bugs
They cause a lot of damage to plants and also ruin their appearance causing the flowers and fruits to drop off in their premature stage. Not only this but the infestation of mealy bugs can turn into a heavy one and might also affect the health of your plant. It is very important to clean it or eliminate it from your plants with the help of neem oil. Neem oil for mealy bugs is the ultimate remedy that you need to keep your plants happy and healthy the entire time.
Neem oil is extracted from the seeds and fruits of the neem tree and is considered a natural insect repellent. That’s true. The rich neem oil effectively kills the mealy bugs and also eradicates other insects like spider mites, flies, bugs, stinky bees, and more. Additionally, the pure neem oil is very active and is rich in compounds that directly target the mealy bugs in your plants. Here are some of the other benefits of neem oil for mealy bugs.
- Neem Oil is highly concentrated and is an effective way to control and permanently eliminate mealy bugs on plants.
- The rich oil primarily works to disrupt the reproductive cycle of mealy bags. As mentioned above, mealy bugs multiply in countless numbers and can destroy the plant’s health within a few weeks. It is important to put a full stop on their reproductive cycle so that they do not grow further and eventually follow their demise. Thankfully, neem oil for mealy bugs works well for this purpose.
- Did you know that neem oil has anti-microbial, antifungal, and antibacterial properties? All these qualities of neem oil are great for nurturing your skin, hair, and health. But, while talking about plants, these properties are the most promising as they eliminate mealy bugs effectively. Not only this, using pure neem oil directly on the plants works well because of these properties.
- Studies have revealed that mealy bugs can be eliminated permanently using pure neem oil in a spray form. Yes, you heard that right. You can simply create a DIY Neem oil spray for mealy bugs and ruin their entire hatching process.
How To Use Neem Oil For Mealy Bugs?
- To use neem oil for mealy bugs in the most effective way, you can simply prepare a solution.
- For this combine two tablespoons of neem oil in 1 l of water. You can also add a few drops of dish soap to it. This will emulsify the oil and water and will improve the efficacy.
- Now shake this concoction well until everything is mixed.
- Now spray this solution directly on the plants. You can go all the way from stems, leaves, and flowers to crevices.
- Do not forget the underneath part of the leaves which many people miss out on.
- Follow this process once a week for better results.
Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Mealy Bugs
- If you are looking for some other natural remedies to get rid of the insects bees and mealy bugs from the plant here are some of them.
- You can manually remove the disruptive mealy bugs by rubbing isopropyl alcohol. Don’t worry it will not damage the health of your plant.
- Additionally, you can prepare a liquid with water and a dishwasher and apply it directly as a disinfectant on your plants.
- The best way to get rid of mealy bugs is to use a soft brush dipped in neem oil spray for mealy bugs.
- Simply brush them off your plants and you will see a clean and sophisticated look of your plants without any damage.
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Takeaway
We are finally wrapping off the series of the best ways to get rid of mealy bugs. No wonder neem oil performs like a charm. Neem oil for mealy bugs is the ultimate remedy that people rely on especially plant lovers. If you are enticed by the remedy of using pure neem oil for mealy bugs make sure to try it once to reveal astounding results and sound health of your plants.
