Looks like mealybugs to me. The white fuzzy is usually a pretty good giveaway.

For a small infestation the easiest thing is probably to take some rubbing alcohol and saturate the end of a Q-Tip, and then dab it on the spots.

Ditto what ggarner said, exactly. You can also dilute some rubbing alcohol with water (not too much) & put in a spray bottle. Get in the cracks...after you have wiped away most of the blobs easily seen.

I agree with the others. Shouldn't be to hard to eradicate, but do check all your other nearby plants now!

Window cleaners like Windex also work well. You need to remain vigilant for a couple of weeks to make sure the vermin are gone and there are no more eggs waiting to hatch.

Brad

Wow, thanks for the quick replies! My car got broken into overnight, so I've had a busy morning dealing with that.

I don't have rubbing alcohol, so I can use Windex?

deburn

Keep in mind the males morph and grow wings and fly around. If you get repeated infestations, treat with a system because you may have them in the soil.

BD,

Is a systemic the only way out? I've not found them in the soil, but I've had (and have, admitting with shame) a persistent problem with them. I guess I should make time to go through the entire collection in one fell swoop.

an organic systemic which doesn't have organophosphates?

I used windex to get the white stuff out. Are the mealybugs visible? I was looking very closely at the plant and did not see anything moving :-)

Actually the mealybugs are usually hiding in the whitestuff which they secrete as protection for themselves and their eggs. They move slowly and look like grey oval flattened woodlice type things, about the same size as this zero...0
Gill from the UK.

Thanks Gill. I'm definitely not seeing them if that's their size, so either I need new glasses or could it be something other than mealybugs?

It's mealies for sure. Bayer makes good systemic insecticides containing imidicloprid, which is sort of the gold standard for dealing with mealies. It will give your plant protection for about 3 months. Try the Tree and Shrub concentrate formulation that is 1.47% imidicloprid. Dilute that 1 oz (2 TBS) per gallon, and use as a soil drench and spray. Do not use the products that also contain fertilizers.

The reason isopropyl alcohol and other solvents like window cleaner work is because mealies have an waxy external coat. Insects breathe through small pores in their skin, and removing their waxy coat with a solvent leaves the insect unable to breathe.

Brad

Deburn: They most certainly can be smaller than that size; the size Gill suggested is their adult size. Damn bastards look like this:

{{gwi:467609}}

{{gwi:467611}}

{{gwi:467613}}

Photos taken about an hour ago. Now I gotta check all the rest of my plants. I've already dealt with mealies on my E. Perle von Nurnberg three times now this month! And it wasn't anywhere near my poor little Aeonium! *grrrrrrr!!!!*


*CG*

Hi guys. The ONLY thing that will eradicate them for good is systemic. Thank goodness you done't eat any fruit off of them.

The only other way you can make sure you get rid of them without chemical, is to toss them and start new. I mean the pots and plants.

I wish you all the luck.

Mike

Ah, dang. (So sorry, too, Jessica. Those a-hole bugs.) I've never had mealies on anything, and kinda hate to admit it out loud, somehow in fear they'll come...

Colleen: While I've got you here, can you ID that Aeonium for me? I wanna say it's a "Kiwi" but there was no label when I bought it, so I'm just going by images I've seen online.


*CG*

I rarely have this problem & treated the last single mealy I saw recently w/ alcohol.

But I grow lots of Hoyas which can be wiped out by mealies & that caused me to use the systemic insecticide Marathon (imidacloprid). I used it about 10 yrs. ago, I've only tried it on Hoyas, have read it works on Orchids, but I don't know if it's safe for succulents, particularly Crassulacae. I read Marathon is its nursery trade name, Merit was its home use name (my local plant society used to get in in bulk & then divide it up for purchase by members).

I just re-read some old threads here about Marathon use & thoughts by our friend Jon Dixon (for those who've been here a few yrs.)

He & others point out its lower toxicity around mammals & that it's actually a nicotine related chemical. It's also used in pets' flea collars.

I just don't know about it for Jades. Does anybody else?

Ummm, well, Jessica, of course I'm not seeing the actual top of that plant, really, but I suppose it could be 'Kiwi,' from the very little I can see. If you wanted to shoot an e-mail with pictures or start another thread (I don't want to go off-topic here), I could try a bit harder, albeit the obsession with A.s unfortunately doesn't give me the brains. :) If I could see a bit more, 'Kiwi' is easy to identify.

Colleen: Oh, right - it would help if I let you see the whole plant, eh? I had gone through my set of photos of that plant several times trying to pick out the ones that best show off the blasted bug, I forgot that I was the only one who'd actually seen the whole plant. I'll start another thread. :)

BTW, I've since killed the bug and eradicated that white fuzzy stuff. Will keep the ever-watchful eye out for more, though.


*CG*

Thanks everyone for your help - really appreciate it. Brad and pirate girl I will buy imidicloprid. Sounds like a handy thing to have around

I moved the offender to another room and moved the other jades away from the rest of my plants.

CG, yes, meant to say that was an approx adult size, babies are MUCH smaller! Also, mealies tend to squeeze into the most awkward places so you need to search everywhere very thoroughly. Their sticky 'honeydew' excreta also proves troublesome as it promotes growth of sooty mould, yet another pesky problem to deal with. Good pics BTW of those horrid little sap sucking monsters from plant hell!
Gill from the UK.

If you are out of rubbing alcohol, Vodka works, too. It also works on ticks. My dog had a tick digging into his chest and I took a shot glass of Vodka and inverted it over the tick. The tick backed out and died happy. The dog was unharmed.

Vodka has other uses as well, I am told.

"The tick backed out and died happy" very funny!

HoovB: So you're told, I'm sure. *wink*


*CG*

Hi -

I agree with the folks that Imidacloprid is the way to go. I don't know if it was mentioned, but they could also be hanging out in the soil and root systems, in which case a good systemic is your best best. 2TBS per gallon is reasonable - I have even had success with 1TBS per gallon if I was concerned about the plant.

I have been told, though I have never personally witnessed a definitive relationship, that use of Imidacloprid may make plants more susceptible to spider mites. I am not sure why or how...but it just may be something to watch for.

Good luck.

Tom

I hate to say it but, thats a great picture of an adult mealie. The buggers can move too. I'd like to add one more thing, ants "farm" mealies for their honeydew crap. Its a symbiotic relationship. If I see an ant party ON (not in the pot) one of my plants it usually means their hiding mealies. I kill them with my fingers, I hate them!

Denise

I'd heard it was aphids that the ants farmed, who knows?

They may farm both, I wouldnt be surprised. From experience I know they farm mealies. If only stink bugs ate them I'd be set.

Denise

You could always try these guys, too... I let them loose in my sunroom one year...

Here is a link that might be useful: mealie bug DESTROYER!

I have been told, though I have never personally witnessed a definitive relationship, that use of Imidacloprid may make plants more susceptible to spider mites.

The general thinking is that the Imidacloprid kills the predators of spider mites, thus making life easier for spider mites.

glad i came across this post. i just found some on one of mine unidentified succulents. thx everyone for the tip. i am going to try the rubbing alcohol today.

I just had mealies on a small baby, maybe a inch or so wide, several weeks ago. Too tiny to get in the crevices where I could see tiny insects hiding too, so I dripped alchohol on the top of it so that it washed into all the areas. No more mealies so far.

Keep watch in case eggs were left that hatch.