mealybugs on Alocasia African Mask
Quick answer
If your Alocasia African Mask has mealybugs, the most likely cause is: The Indoor Plant Bible profile for Alocasia x amazonica — the species Houseplants & Succulents For Dummies records as the African mask Alocasia — lists mealy bugs among the pests that attack this tropical aroid, and Houseplants & Succulents For Dummies describes mealybugs as mealy or cottony masses found on growing tips, buds, and stems, calling them one of the most common and destructive insects for many houseplants.
Start here:
- 1. Physically remove as many of the mealybugs as possible from the Alocasia african mask foliage with a soft toothbrush, then dab the remaining insects with a cotton swab drenched in isopropyl alcohol, which kills them by dehydrating them on contact.
- 2. Repeat the alcohol and soft-toothbrush treatment until no more mealybugs show up, supplementing with insecticidal soap, All Seasons Horticultural Oil, or Neem if the cottony colonies persist.
Why Alocasia African Mask gets mealybugs
alocasia african mask
The Indoor Plant Bible profile for Alocasia x amazonica — the species Houseplants & Succulents For Dummies records as the African mask Alocasia — lists mealy bugs among the pests that attack this tropical aroid, and Houseplants & Succulents For Dummies describes mealybugs as mealy or cottony masses found on growing tips, buds, and stems, calling them one of the most common and destructive insects for many houseplants.
How to reverse mealybugs on Alocasia African Mask
- 1
Physically remove as many of the mealybugs as possible from the Alocasia african mask foliage with a soft toothbrush, then dab the remaining insects with a cotton swab drenched in isopropyl alcohol, which kills them by dehydrating them on contact.
- 2
Repeat the alcohol and soft-toothbrush treatment until no more mealybugs show up, supplementing with insecticidal soap, All Seasons Horticultural Oil, or Neem if the cottony colonies persist.
Keep mealybugs off this Alocasia African Mask
Inspect the African Mask weekly on the growing tips and leaf axils where mealybugs establish, isolate any new plant added to the collection for several weeks, and keep the plant in bright filtered light with humidity at 50 percent or higher, since the book emphasizes this bog plant dislikes dry indoor air where sap-sucking pests thrive.