mealybugs on Oleander
Quick answer
If your Oleander has mealybugs, the most likely cause is: Mealy bugs settle on oleander and lay their woolly white balls of eggs along the stems and on the undersides of the leaves, where they feed unseen and excrete sticky honeydew that quickly grows a blackish sooty mould across the foliage if it is not wiped away.
Start here:
- 1. Wipe the woolly egg masses and any adult mealy bugs off the oleander with a cloth soaked in methylated spirits, working carefully along the stems and under the leaves where the bugs congregate.
- 2. Clean off any sticky honeydew on the surrounding leaves with a soapy spray as part of the same treatment so the blackish sooty mould fungus does not have a chance to colonise the residue.
Why Oleander gets mealybugs
Oleander
Mealy bugs settle on oleander and lay their woolly white balls of eggs along the stems and on the undersides of the leaves, where they feed unseen and excrete sticky honeydew that quickly grows a blackish sooty mould across the foliage if it is not wiped away.
How to reverse mealybugs on Oleander
- 1
Wipe the woolly egg masses and any adult mealy bugs off the oleander with a cloth soaked in methylated spirits, working carefully along the stems and under the leaves where the bugs congregate.
- 2
Clean off any sticky honeydew on the surrounding leaves with a soapy spray as part of the same treatment so the blackish sooty mould fungus does not have a chance to colonise the residue.
Keep mealybugs off this Oleander
Practise efficient plant hygiene and check the stems and leaf undersides of the oleander regularly during routine care so woolly egg masses are spotted and wiped away before they hatch into a mealy bug colony.