Mealybug vs Scale
And why bringing in a sample is always your best first move!
This morning, Mrs Lumpy took a call from a customer with a common concern: “What can I use for mealybug on my avocado tree?”
He wanted a granular systemic insecticide, saying that “a lady down at the club used it and it worked.”
As the conversation went on, we learned a few things:
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The tree was too large for white oil to be a practical solution, if in fact it was Mealybug.
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We hadn't actually confirmed it was mealybug.
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We asked him to bring in a photo and a stem sample — which we always recommend!
After chatting with our horticulturists, we suspect he’s actually dealing with scale — a pest that often gets confused with mealybug, but requires a slightly different treatment approach.
Spot the Difference: Mealybug vs Scale
Mealybugs
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Appear as white, cottony clusters.
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Often found in leaf axils, stems, or undersides of leaves.
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Can attract ants due to the sticky honeydew they produce.
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Favourites: indoor plants, ornamentals, citrus, and tropicals.
Scale
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Look like small, dome-shaped or flat bumps on stems and leaves.
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Come in soft and hard varieties — soft scale also exudes honeydew.
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Often go unnoticed until leaves yellow or drop.
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Favourites: citrus, avocado, camellia, bay trees, and many natives.
Both pests suck sap, weaken the plant, and can lead to sooty mould due to honeydew.
Treatment Options
Here at Lumpy’s, we stock a great range of products from Searles and David Grays to help you tackle both pests effectively.
✅ Systemic Insecticides
These are absorbed through the plant and are great for larger trees where surface spraying is impractical. Some examples of our products are -
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Searles Conguard RTU or Concentrate – For soft-bodied insects like mealybugs and scale.
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David Grays Systemic Bug Killer – Can be applied to the soil or foliage depending on the formulation.
✅ White Oil or Pest Oil
Great for smothering scale, especially the soft types, but as our customer said – not ideal for very large trees.
✅ Searles Ecofend Fruit & Garden Spray
An excellent organic contact spray for mealybug and early-stage scale infestations.
Go to our web page and check out our full range: https://lumpys.com.au/collections/pest-control
Mrs Lumpy’s Golden Rule: Bring It In!
Our friendly advice? Before you buy a product based on what "someone at the club" used, bring in a sample and a photo.
We’re more than happy to take a look and help you:
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Identify the actual pest.
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Choose the right treatment (timing is everything with scale!).
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Avoid wasting time, money, and effort on the wrong product.
After all, there’s nothing worse than treating for mealybug when it’s actually scale — or vice versa!
Come see us at Chapmans Road, Tuncurry, and let’s get your plants back to good health.
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Got a sticky situation in your garden? Bring it to Lumpy’s Nursery & Landscape Yard – where plants (and people) get the care they need.