Experience from countries such as Israel, Pakistan and India suggests that chemical control is not the best form of management for mealybug and may in fact, exacerbate problems by killing natural enemies.

The best management option we currently have is preventing infestation and spread through practising good farm hygiene.
• Destroy weeds that act as alternative hosts for mealybug.
• Control cotton volunteers and ratoons close to cotton fields.
• Conserve natural enemies by adopting a soft approach to management of other pests by not using broad spectrum insecticides.

Chemical control of mealybug in cotton is made more difficult because the waxy/mealy coating on mealybug make insecticide penetration difficult. Mealybug often hide in the crevices of plants and on the underside of leaves, making insecticide coverage difficult. Presently, there are no registered insecticides for control of mealybug on cotton in Australia.

Some predators look like oversize mealybugs -
Larvae of green lacewing pictured
Photo: Zara Ludgate DEEDI

Some predators look like oversize mealybugs -
Mealybug ladybird larvae pictured
Photo: Zara Ludgate DEEDI