Should You Kill Mealybugs?

Once the mealybug infestation appears, you must act immediately, eliminating all existing mealybugs. If only a single mealybug remains on the plant, it will be able to reproduce again on the plant.

Should I throw away my plant if it has mealy bugs?

Mealybugs on houseplants are difficult to control. Unless the plant is particularly valuable, it's often best to throw away an infested plant before the insects spread to other houseplants. ... It is also helpful to syringe plants with a forceful spray of lukewarm water to dislodge the mealybugs from the plants.

Are mealybugs good or bad?

Feeding on a wide range of outdoor plants like gardenia, chrysanthemum, geranium, gladiolus, grape, apple, peach, pear, plum, maples, and yews, mealybugs are also serious pests of orchids and other indoor plants – African violets, begonias, ferns and palms, just to name a few. ...