[wilko]

Hello
We have white deposits on a lot of our plants and trees. This has happened in the past month, we are in Provence. We thought it was mildew but having looked closely there are these white hairy bugs which hop around. We've tried soap and water but no effect, also something that supposed to kill all bugs and that doesn't work either. MOH is convinced that they arrived from some small hollyhock plants we bought. Any info gratefully received as to what they are and how to treat.
Many thanks
W

[David Bracey]

Look under Neem oil on this Forum for more information.

[Alisdair]

And you'll find lots more information and suggestions about mealy bug on the topic devoted to it if you click here.

[pamela]

Hello
I see you are in the south of France and interestingly we have had the same problem this year.  I have never seen such large fluffy bits like this before here, and in July we never normally see leaf pests.  They are dead and gone....too hot.   Ours is on a Salvia guaranitica but only on the leaves which are in the shade.  I am just taking them off with a spray gun of water at the moment. 

[wilko]

Thanks for the replies but have yo found that these bugs hop around ?
Thanks W

[Alisdair]

Mealybugs don't exactly hop - but the nymph stage move around at a speed which seems quite brisk if you're looking at them through a lens!
There is a quite different pest, originally from North America, which seems to be spreading in Europe now and which does hop around. That's the citrus planthopper (it eats all sorts of other plants, too). Infestations have the same sort of white woolly look as mealy bug infestations, but the nymphs have quite powerful-looking legs and do hop or even fly. If you poke the infestation and any of the creatures do hop away, then that's probably what you've got.

[wilko]

Alisdair I think that's what we've got................so does the neem oil work on these ?
Thanks for your help.
W

[Alisdair]

An Italian study showed that neem oil appeared to have no effect on the adults, but the authors suggested that it might perhaps be used to control the mobile nymph stages. I don't know if anyone's actually tried it!. The planthopper does have a natural predator in the States, a parasitic miniature wasp, which (after careful risk assessments) has been introduced successfully to some European countries and which does look like giving long-term control, but I don't think you can buy this yet. Ordinary pesticides such as those which work for mealy bug do work on this planthopper; and the harmless methods like water jets and soapy water will clear up infected patches - but probably only temporarily.