Mealybugs

What it looks like

Look for white, cottony wax clumps tucked into leaf axils and stem crevices. You'll often see sticky honeydew on leaves nearby, sometimes with black sooty mold growing on it. New growth may look stunted or distorted.

Often mistaken for: Woolly aphids or scale insects with waxy coatings

When it shows up in the Triangle

They're active with overlapping generations from spring through fall during our warm season, so it's worth checking leaf axils and stem crotches regularly.

Where you’ll see it

Found on camellia, gardenia, boxwood, crape myrtle, and many other ornamentals, especially in warm, protected spots in the landscape.

What you can do

• Check leaf axils and stem crevices regularly for the cottony white masses
• Wipe off or hose down light infestations to knock pests off the plant
• Avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen, which can encourage soft new growth mealybugs love
• Protect and encourage natural predators like the mealybug destroyer lady beetle and parasitic wasps
• Prune out heavily infested stems if practical