Today 
Tomorrow
Soft-bodied, 4mm-long mealybugs are often found on greenhouse plants and house plants such as cacti and succulents, feeding on their sap. They are covered by a white, waxy secretion, and congregate in leaf axils and other inaccessible parts of plants. They debilitate the plants and secrete a sticky, sugary honeydew that covers the leaves, which often results in further problems, such as sooty moulds.
Solution
Organic
Dispose of fallen leaves that might have the bugs or eggs attached. Use the predatory ladybird Cryptolaemus montrouzieri when temperatures rise in summer. Also try spraying plants with fatty acids or plant oils. You may need to do this a few times, but it's a suitable treatment for edible plants. Inspect new plants before bringing them indoors. Severely affected plants might have to be destroyed.
Chemical
Use the systemic insecticides imidacloprid or thiacloprid to kill the feeding bugs.
