Management strategies for citrus mealybug in greenhouses

Citrus mealybug (Planococcus citri) is a greenhouse and nursery pest that was introduced to the United States in the late 1800s. Previous research has shown that most systemic and many contact insecticides have very little efficacy on these pests; our own greenhouse trials showed no significant difference between controls and treated plants. In addition, increasing the concentration of these insecticides for higher efficacy can be harmful to natural enemies, pollinators, and other beneficial insects. To combat these issues, we evaluated the efficacy of multiple biological and traditional insecticides, both alone and in combination. Afterwards, we compared the most effective combinations to insect natural enemies. The hypothesis we tested was that combinations of insecticides and biological control agents will decrease damage from citrus mealybugs more than when used individually. I plan to use this information to reveal commercially viable strategies that growers can use to control mealybugs while minimizing pesticide use.