Unfortunately, mealybugs like to nest on palm trees. They hide under a protective layer of white wax and feed on the plant's lifeblood. This means that the annoying pests can weaken the attractive plant so much that it even dies.
How to remove mealybugs from palm trees?
To combat mealybugs on palm trees, isolate the plant, use a home remedy made from alcohol, paraffin oil and water or use insecticides. Beneficial insects such as lacewing larvae or Australian ladybirds help in the winter garden.
General
The insect pests, also called mealybugs or root lice, occur worldwide and belong to the subfamily of scale insects. The insects, which are one to twelve millimeters in size, secrete a white, waxy, wooly substance that surrounds the animal like a small cotton ball and protects it from environmental influences and predators. They are able to reproduce unisexually and, if they find optimal conditions, they multiply explosively. After the mealybug has attached itself to the host plant, it usually stays in one place under its protective layer.
The harmful image
Mealybugs don't just weaken the palm tree by drinking the plant sap. They also secrete toxins, which have a negative effect on the vitality and growth of the plant. The excreted honeydew also promotes infestation with sooty mold fungus.
The leaves of the palm tree turn yellow, dry out and eventually fall off. Severe mealybug infestation inevitably leads to the death of the plant.
Fighting mealybugs successfully
If there is an infestation, it is important to act quickly. Follow these steps:
- Isolate the plant and place it in a very bright, not too warm place.
- Do not scrape off the lice and white coating as is often recommended. This would spread the tiny eggs all over the palm.
- You can mix a good home remedy for mealybugs yourself from 15 milliliters of spirit, fifteen milliliters of paraffin oil and one liter of water.
- Alternatively, retailers have highly effective insecticides available.
- Inject multiple times, two to three days apart.
Treating palm trees in the winter garden with beneficial insects
In closed rooms, beneficial insects such as the larvae of the lacewing, the Australian ladybird or slip creatures declare war on mealybugs. You can get these animal helpers, which are applied directly to the plant, from specialist retailers.
Tip
To prevent lice infestation from occurring in the first place, you should ensure a good indoor climate. Ventilate regularly and spray the palm fronds daily with warm, lime-free water.
