Boxwood infested by mealybugs

Damage image

You can recognize an infestation with mealybugs by the cotton-like white webs of wax that the pests use to protect themselves from their predators. The oval, up to seven millimeters long animals with the characteristic transverse grooves bite each other mainly on the leaves of the boxwood and suck the nutrient-rich sap there the end. In addition, mealybugs, like other plant suckers, excrete honeydew, which in turn mushrooms attracts and often a transmission of Infections entails. Afflicted Leaves turn yellow, Shoots wither and dry up; in addition, the growth of the whole plant can be inhibited in the event of severe infestation.

Mealybugs multiply rapidly

Mealybugs have to be fought quickly and again and again because they multiply rapidly. The animals lay their eggs, which are surrounded by a waxy shell, in the warm season. A female mealybug alone produces up to eight generations with more than 100 eggs each year. These are extremely resistant and can survive even at temperatures down to minus 40 ° C.

Combat

The regular control of the boxwood for pest infestation is an important and not to be neglected task anyway and for various reasons. You can still collect or collect individual animals by hand. Dab with a cotton swab dipped in neem or rapeseed oil or in high-percentage alcohol (e.g. vodka). If the infestation is already more advanced, this procedure is recommended:

• Syringes Complete the plants with a preparation based on neem oil or rapeseed oil.
• The infested boxwood should be soaked in such a way that the agent drips from the leaves and shoots.
• Shade the boxwood, as treating it with oil in a sunny spot can cause burns.
• Heavily infested stocks cut back vigorously, because otherwise the animals keep coming back.
• This is also the case with box trees cultivated in pots Repot recommended in fresh substrate.