Mealybugs on Peace Lily — Where They Hide and How to Remove Every Colony
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)
Symptoms
- white cottony masses
- mealybugs
- sticky honeydew
- sooty mold
- white fluff at stem base
Causes
Introduction from infested plants
Peace lily mealybugs arrive on new plants brought into the home. They prefer the base of leaf stems (petioles), the growing point where new leaves emerge, and occasionally the undersides of leaves along the midrib. Mealybugs on peace lily are often discovered by the sooty mold that grows on the honeydew they secrete — a black dusty coating on leaves below the infestation site.
How to Fix It
- 1
Inspect thoroughly: check every leaf base at soil level, the growing point, and the underside of every leaf along the central vein. Mealybugs form white, cottony clusters in these sheltered locations.
- 2
Work a cotton swab soaked in 70% isopropyl alcohol into the base of each leaf stem and the central growing point specifically, since that's where this plant's colonies concentrate most heavily — a quick pass over the visible leaf surfaces alone will miss the bulk of the infestation on Peace Lily.
- 3
Peace lily's broad, glossy leaves are large enough to wipe individually, so go leaf by leaf with a damp cloth to lift the honeydew and sooty mold left behind — this also gives you a second look at the midrib undersides for any colonies the alcohol swab missed.
- 4
Spray a diluted neem oil solution over the whole plant, paying particular attention to the crown and stem bases where colonies concentrated in the first place, and hold to a weekly schedule for about a month to catch successive rounds of hatching crawlers.
Prevention
- Quarantine all new plants before placing near established peace lily
- Inspect the stem bases and growing point monthly
- Wipe leaves periodically to remove early infestations before they establish
Quick Summary
| Plant | Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii) |
|---|---|
| Category | Pests |
| Likely causes | Introduction from infested plants |
| Fix steps | 4 steps — see above |