Managing Mealybugs on Ornamental Crops
Action points from the factsheet
Managing mealybugs on nurseries
- Preventing mealybugs from coming onto the nursery on infested crops is a key priority.
- Susceptible, bought in plant material should be quarantined prior to introduction into growing areas.
- Maintaining good levels of nursery hygiene are important in terms of mealybug control.
- Dispose of badly infested plants, or plants where control would be difficult or economically unviable.
- Biological control agents are more appropriate for protected ornamental crops, although the use of lacewings may offer control on a broader range of crops, where the mealybugs are not hidden between plant structures.
- Several contact and systemic plant protection products can be used to achieve mealybug control, but the pest has several behavioural and morphological features which limit product efficacy.
- Greater control of mealybugs can be achieved if a product containing fatty acids such as Flipper or SB Invigorator is applied to dissolve the wax layer, prior to the application of another plant protection product treatment.
- Repeat applications of plant protection products at roughly two-week intervals can increase efficacy.
- Systemic plant protection product use should be restricted to periods when plants are actively growing.
- Comply with any label (and EAMU), application, handling or re-entry period restrictions.
- For more detailed information download the factsheet below.
Looking for further support?
Please contact our HTA Technical horticulture team for further information and support should you have any questions or queries.