Is That A Pseudococcus In My Aeonium Or Did The Dryer Explode?
By Andrea Peck
I have an Aeonium arboreum var. atropurpureum outside on my patio. Does that impress anyone? Okay, okay. I admit that I had no idea that this was the scientific name for my purple succulent. In fact, I had to spend a few quality minutes researching “purple succulent” before I came to that tongue-tripping moniker. It also took many months of ignoring the “white gunk” surrounding this poor plant before I finally decided that this may not be “normal.” One morning I tore off a piece of my plant and looked closely with glasses and a cheap plastic magnifying glass that came in one of my son's science kits. Something little and whitish moved. A bug.
A quick search on Google confirmed that this was indeed a problem. Apparently my little aeonium had mealybugs (Pseudococcus spp).
Notice the word “had.” We'll get back to that.
Mealybugs are small buggers that couch themselves in a white, cottony attire – the insect version of the full length white mink coat. Their coat protects them from excessive heat and moisture loss. The bug itself is small (1/8” – ¼”), oval and appears segmented. They are in the same insect order as scale, aphids and whiteflies. And like scale and whitefly, mealybugs produce a protective waxy coating. These are slow moving or “stationary” creatures and it is easy to mistake them for a non-insect disorder or the common aphid. Dressed to the nines, they lounge amongst the leaves, near the veins of leaves or where the leaf stalk joins the stem of your plant and suck the plant sap to their hearts content. Of course, you will not feel content in your heart when you see masses of what looks like pure white lint smothering your plant. Then when you look closer and see movement, disgust may be the feeling that fills your ventricle cavity.
Yellowing of the plant, wilting, diminished growth and even black sooty mold can occur as the problem takes hold. Some mealybugs attack at the root when conditions above ground are not favorable.
Because these insects travel, make sure to check all of your plants – even when you first bring them home. The last thing you want is a mealybug Club Med. Mealybugs are common in a variety of plants. Infested plants that fruit may experience fruit drop.
The mealybug destroyer, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, is a small lady beetle that is a natural predator and is available commercially. One thing to be cautious of, however, is the presence of ants. In the war between pests and beneficials, ants are on the pest side. Mealybugs, like aphids, exude honeydew which attracts ants. The ants return the favor by defending mealybugs against natural predators.
Of course, you, the sharpest of predators, can deal with a small infestation in a number of ways. Hosing, rinsing off or handpicking the offending insects often does the trick. Lightly wiping with a damp cloth or cotton swab will remove those that you can reach. Simply removing and disposing of infected portions lightens the load. Insecticidal soaps and horticultural oils sprays are other alternatives. The last option is to get rid of the plant. In my case, I chose this route. It was unfortunate that I did not notice the dire circumstances before they became unwieldy and in the effort to prevent infection of my other plants, I opted for the cleanest cut – complete elimination.