Field Identification
Pale wax-coated mealybugs that cluster shoot tips and undersides, sucking sap until cassava yellows, stunts, and drops leaves like a bad joke. Famous outbreak species in Africa; related Phenacoccus taxa occur in the Americas—scout, do not assume passport.
White flocculent colonies, ant attendance, and deformed young leaves; sooty mold follows honeydew. Dry seasons let populations ride thermals across fields.
How to Deal With It
Organic Control Methods
Horticultural oil or soap penetrates wax—repeat twice weekly until crawlers slow; neem suppresses feeding but needs thorough coverage.
Anagyrus lopezi and other encyrtid parasitoids are classical heroes where established; lady beetles, lacewings, and syrphid larvae finish stragglers—never torch the hedgerow.
Clean planting material; intercrop with repellent or banker plants that shelter predators; rogue heavily infested stems early.
Pressure-wash nursery stock; prune tip infestations into soapy buckets.
Quarantine new cuttings; monitor shoot tips after transport—mealybugs travel like tourists with luggage.
Let Nature Handle It
Natural Enemies
- Anagyrus lopezi
- Lady Beetles
- Lacewings
Threat Map