Mealybugs can be present in the house, the conservatory, the sun lounge or the greenhouse, few plants will escape its attention. About 4mm long, their soft bodies are a greyish-white or pink. They secrete a fluffy white waxy substance which protects their bodies and hides their eggs. They suck sap so are most susceptible to systemic insecticides that get inside the plant.
Look for colonies on the underside of leaves and on plant stems. Like most sap feeders they excrete a sugary honeydew which makes the surface of leaves on to which it drops very sticky. A black sooty mould grows on this sticky substance.
Treatment and control
General tips: Treat ornamental plants with systemic insecticide.
A biological approach: Introduce a predatory beetle (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri) which will eat infestations.