Avon microblack, canola oil, clay, etc. We all have, in our cupboards, natural products to combat Mealybug.

 

Why get rid of scale insects?

 

Scale insects are small parasitic insects. Equipped with a proboscis, they bite plants to feed on their sap. This results in more or less significant damage to the host plants: growth retardation, deformations, weakening, honeydew production and sooty mold development.

 

How to get rid of scale insects naturally?

 

Female cochineals protect their bodies with secretions that can take the form of shells of lacquer, shells or white threads of powdered wax.

 

So it is not easy to get rid of it. However, you can try the following natural remedies:

 

black soap

 

Black soap acts as a contact insecticide that kills the larvae. It is effective against mealybugs, but also against aphids or flea beetles that are present on many plants. It also has fungicidal properties to eliminate soot. Finally, with a sponge soaked in warm water, it has the advantage of washing the leaves that stick to the honeydew.

 

Recipe:

 

• Dilute 5 tablespoons of liquid black soap (or 2.5 teaspoons of soft black soap) in 1 liter of lukewarm water.
• When the mixture has cooled, pour it into a small sprayer and spray it on the parts of the plants that have been colonized by mealybugs.
• Repeat the operation a few days later, if necessary.

Mealy bugs are the most persistent: an alcohol-soaked cloth is an effective home remedy to get rid of them. © DepositPhotos

 

rapeseed oil

 

Canola oil is an insecticide suffocating action that gardeners use a lot as a winter treatment on fruit trees, to get rid of overwintering insects – eggs, larvae – as well as adult forms) and other pests that settle in bark cavities, such as aphids .

 

To use it effectively, it should be mixed with an emulsifier, such as liquid soap, which can disperse the oil in the water. The use of black soap is an advantage because it weakens the protective secretions of scale insects, making the action of rapeseed oil more effective, while cleaning the leaves stuck with honeydew.

 

Recipe:

 

• Emulsify 2 tablespoons of oil with 2 tablespoons of liquid black soap.
• Mix everything with 1 liter of warm water.
• Pour into a spray bottle, shake and spray.
• If the mealybugs aren’t dead (when they are, they detach from the plant), start again the next day.

Variation ++ : Add 20 to 25 drops of rose geranium essential oil (Pelargonium X Asperum) which has very interesting insecticidal properties against mealybugs.

 

Alcohol at 70°C

 

Alcohol has a disruptive effect on the development of many insects and their larvae. Powerful, it is better to use it in local application.

 

How to use it?

 

• On the green parts of a plant, soak a piece of cloth or cotton and use it to loosen the shield and shell of the mealybugs. Then rinse the plant, as the alcohol can damage the plant tissue.
• On trunks and branches: emulsify 2 tablespoons of oil with 2 tablespoons of liquid black soap and 2 tablespoons of 70° alcohol. Mix everything with 250 ml of warm water and spread it.*

The clay wash

 

It is used in winter on tree trunks to destroy the overwintering forms of many pests including mealybugs.

 

Recipe:

 

• In a bucket, mix 5 volumes of white or green clay with 1 volume of cow dung.
• Add water until you get a semi-liquid consistency (thick soup)
• Apply with a large brush after brushing the bark.

Does white vinegar kill scale insects?

 

Yes, vinegar kills scale insects, but it is also extremely harmful to plants. it is a natural herbicide.

 

Does baking soda kill scale insects?

 

Baking soda is alkaline. it may have an insecticidal effect but it is also phytotoxic. Like white vinegar, it is a natural weed killer.

 

Be aware : All foliar sprays should be avoided in rain or heat (T° > 20°C).

 

* from a recipe by Brigitte Lapouge-Déjean: Preparing my filters for the garden » published by Terre Vivante.