Living in the City

I noticed that our kalamansi, and chili plants have insects that resemble waxy and fiber-like appearance on top of the leaves. I found out that these insects are called mealy bugs and that they suck the juices of house-plants and subtropical trees. In our case, they are actively gnawing at the juices of our kalamansi and chili plants to the point of drying out and dropping many of the plant leaves. Arrgghh. "Mealyb ug females feed on plant sap, normally in roots or other crevices. They attach themselves to the plant and secrete a powdery wax layer (th erefore the name mealy bug) used for protection while they suck the plant juices. The males on the other hand, are short-lived as they do not feed at all as adults and only live to fertilize the females. Male citrus mealy bugs fly to the females and resemble fluffy gnats". Mealy bugs are considered "serious" plant pests in the presence of their allies - the ants. "Ants protect them from predators and parasites.