Mealy Bugs

Mealy Bugs!

http://www.homehelp4u.net/tipsandplanning/australian_garden_pests.php

Mealy Bugs are my number one garden enemy! 

The just love to much on my tomato stalks and other vegetable plants.

You can spot a Mealy quite easily, they are white and fluffy, about half a centimetre in length, they breed very fast and in large numbers on the under side of leaves. They feed on the stalks of your plant and eventually kill it, a good indication of having a Mealy infestation, there are almost always tiny ants around helping them. Joined forces! Completely evil I know! 

Now I'm no backyard expert but when you find one I urge you to kill it immediately! Either squish it with your thumb or spray it with some white oil.

I tried using a home made mixture of chilli, oil and garlic in a spray bottle; but this failed on my poor tomato plant. The nozzle clogged up with garlic and chilli and then it went off because I left it outside for a couple of days. I went to empty it and wash it out, it was such a horrible smell! It was like sick with garlic! Blagh! I'm sure a non-forgetful person would have thought to put it in the fridge rather than leave it outside.

My Dad recommended I use dish-washing liquid with some warm water, I haven't tried this yet but I'm assured this works brilliantly!

Instead I opted for White Oil, I sprayed it right on the little buggers and they died, the next day only their fluffy little corpses were left behind MWAHAHAHAHA!