If the Dipladenia (Mandevilla) gets yellow leaves that curl up and eventually fall off, an infestation of mealybugs is often the cause. In this article you will find out how to identify the pests without any doubt and get rid of them.
What to do if Dipladenia has yellow leaves due to mealybugs?
Mealybugs are often the cause of yellow leaves on Dipladenia. Cut off affected parts of the plant, spray the plant with a mixture of water, spirit and liquid soap/paraffin oil and repot if necessary to save it.
What do mealybugs look like on Dipladenia?
Thebetween one and twelve millimeters in sizeYou can recognize mealybugs by the wax layer surrounding the pests, which makes them looklike small cotton balls.
Approximately every two months, the females, who feed on the plant juices, lay up to 600 eggs on the leaves, the leaf axils, the sheath leaves and in the substrate. The larvae hatch after just ten days. Within a very short time, so many pests can live on the Dipladenia that the plant is massively damaged.
How do I recognize mealybug infestation on Dipladenia?
The leaves affected by mealybugschange colorinitially turnyellow,roll upandfalllateroff. Examine the Mandevilla with a magnifying glass, find white, woolly louse colonies.
The pest weakens the Dipladenia through its sucking activity. Saliva also contains toxins that inhibit the growth process of the flowering plant. It thrives less, gets brown leaves, produces fewer flowers and dies if infested heavily.
How do I fight mealybugs on the Dipladenia?
Isolatethe Dipladeniaimmediatelyandcutallinfested ones Plant parts where you can find mealybugs. Then spray the Mandevilla with a mixture of:
- 1 liter of water
- 15 milliliters of spirit
- 15 milliliters of liquid core soap or paraffin oil
Repeat the treatment for a longer period at intervals of three days.
Alternatively, you can find ecologically compatible, highly effective sprays in stores (€28.00 on Amazon).
What do I do against mealybugs on the roots of the Dipladenia?
If you suspect that the roots of the Dipladenia are also infested with mealybugs,pot upthe plantimmediately. You can recognize the pests by the white smear marks in the planter.
- Remove the root system completely from the soil.
- Dispose of these with household waste.
- Rinse the storage organs thoroughly under running water.
- Use a new flower pot and place the plant in fresh substrate.
Which beneficial insects help with mealybugs on Dipladenia?
TheLarvae of the lacewing,theAustralian ladybirdsandParasitic wasps consume live on the Dipladenia Mealybugs in large numbers. However, one generation of beneficial animals rarely destroys all pests.
That's why it makes sense to offer the beneficial insects additional food in the form of diluted honey, water and suitable habitats (insect hotels). With a bit of luck, a second and third generation will develop.
Can you prevent mealybugs on Dipladenia?
You can prevent mealybugs on the Mandevilla by takingvarious measures:
- Examine newly purchased plants thoroughly.
- Avoid fertilizers that are too high in nitrogen.
- Strengthen Dipladenia with regular doses of horsetail or nettle manure.
Tip
The Dipladenia cannot tolerate stress
Since dipladenias are not very stress-resistant, they are often attacked by pests such as mealybugs in hot and dry conditions, but also in winter quarters. However, the plant tolerates pruning well, so if necessary it can simply be shortened radically and then treated with a suitable product.
