What are mealybug destroyers and what are their benefits on plants? One thing that you should know about mealybugs destroyer is that if you have them in your garden then consider yourself lucky and also do everything possible to make sure that they stick around for long.
Both adults and larvae would make sure that mealybugs are kept under control in your garden and this is why we have decided to bring you this article which tells you all about mealybug destroyer and their benefits in your garden.
Mealybugs as well all know are very destructive pests that are capable of causing havoc by sucking out juices from various plants and this could be either ornamental trees, garden vegetables, agricultural crops, and also your most treasured houseplants.
As if that isn’t enough, these mealybugs also tend to leave behind sticky and sweet waste which in return leads to the build-up of mold on leaves. The following information given from here tells you about mealybug destroyers and their relationship with mealybugs pests in your garden.
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All About Mealybug Destroyer
The adult mealybug destroyer beetles are small in size and are also primary dark brown or black lady beetles with a rusty or tan orange head and tail.
A healthy appetite is a reason why they can consume mealybugs quickly and within two months of their lifespan, they are also capable of laying about four hundred eggs. The mealybug destroyer lays eggs that are yellowish in color and where you can find them is exactly right in the cottony egg sack of mealybugs.
In about five days, these eggs would hatch into larvae when the temperature hits 80 degrees Fahrenheit
When the weather is extremely hot or very cold, they tend not to reproduce well and it takes about twenty-four days for the larvae to go into a pupal stage after passing about three larval stages.
This is the part where things might get a bit confusing; the larvae of a mealybug destroyer look exactly like a mealybug and what this means is that mealybug destroyers are capable of sneaking up on their prey in order to feed on them.
There is an estimate which shows that a mealybug destroyer is capable of feeding on about two hundred and fifty mealybugs while still in the nymph stage.
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The unfortunate side to all this is since the mealybug destroyer larvae has the same appearance as that of a mealybug, it is also vulnerable to insecticide spray since their features are similar.
However, how can you tell a mealybug destroyer from the actual mealybug itself? The larvae of a mealybug destroyer are always covered in a white and waxy material in a substantial amount than a mealybug itself and they are about 1.25cm in length which is twice the length of a mealybug pest.
The mealybug destroyers also have legs and mealybug pest do not but these legs are quite hard to see since the mealybug destroyers are always covered in a white, waxy material and mealybug destroyers also love to move around compared to mealybug pests that are always sluggish which prompts them to always remain in the same spot.
If you have a garden that is being overrun by mealybugs and the mealybug destroyer beetles are not helping in getting rid of these insect pests then you still should not resort to making use of pesticides.
Instead of making use of pesticides to fight mealybugs, what you can also do is try out insecticidal soap. This is a better and preferred option than pesticide because you also need to be careful and try not to harm the mealybug destroyer adults, eggs and larvae.
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