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What is this white stuff in citronella plant and how can I remove it? It looks like a type of insect. Both of my citronella plants have that. Is it contagious?

I started spraying it today with soap water.

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Looks like mealybugs. More info here: https://getbusygardening.com/how-to-kill-mealybugs/

You can wash them away with soap water, spray with pyrethrum spray or white oil. Also, alcohol kills them.

Just check any spray on one branch first, as it can sometimes damage the leaves.

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  • Thanks for your reply. Can these mealybugs kill the plant? One of the citronellas had mealybugs and many of the leaves were dead, so I'm assuming that these bugs are the reason for that.
    – rbhat
    Apr 10, 2019 at 12:52
  • Well, these bugs are slow to develop, so they won’t eat all the plant overnight :) but they can definitely damage leaves, weaken the plant and make the new leaves grow slow and small
    – Daria
    Apr 10, 2019 at 22:56
  • Thanks for your comment. I washed them away, but it seems that something else is hurting the plant.
    – rbhat
    Apr 11, 2019 at 14:04
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I think it's mildew! My citronella gets the same, especially when I stopped pruning it for a bit.

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