Ruud Kleinpaste: Identifying the white fluffy pests living in your garden - Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

White fluffy pests – Mealybugs

One of the rottenest pests gardeners can get on their plants are Pseudococcuslongispinus, or any of its close relatives.

Longispinusis derived from the word meaning “with a long spine or tail” – so we’re talking about the Long-Tailed Mealybug.

To identify these insects, you’ll need good eyesight. The way to start your identification is to look for dense, white patches of silkall over your plants, especially over the leaves and on the stems.

If you scrape off the fluffy white deposits, you’ll get to the insects hiding underneath that fluff. Big ones and smaller ones all living together out of the rain and out of the sun. 1-4mm in size.

They eat a massive range of plants, both edibles and Read more