White eggs? by bugs

[begin2018]

Hello,

Very new to gardening, I have attached the photos of white dune like structures at the base of the flower buds, This is happening in different plants, Can someone please advise how do i get rid of them ? Also any resources online that will help me keep the plants safe from pests and insects.

I have also noticed very light brownish ant like bugs on the plants, how do i know they are harmful or not to plants and what can i do to get rid of them if harmful?

Thanks in advance for your guidance!

Thanks
anishek

 

[Becky]

They look a bit like scale insects to me, but I'm not totally sure...

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=224

 

[Chuck]

@Becky is correct. What you have are called mealy bugs, a type of scale insect. The best method of killing and keeping them away is to use Neem Oil.
https://getbusygardening.com/how-to-kill-mealybugs/

 

[begin2018]

Thanks for your replies, i will try neem oil , is there expiry dates for neem oil and no point using too old one ?

 

[Chuck]

Thanks for your replies, i will try neem oil , is there expiry dates for neem oil and no point using too old one ?

I don't think there is an expiration date.

 

[debbadoozy]

I tried Neem Oil about a month ago. I went through the trouble of lightly rubbing it on each leaf of my fiddle leaf fig and my 2 1/2' Scheffelera. It was a pain but those 2 plants haven't had a mealybug since. I'm battleing mealybugs and I have been for a few years because I live in a condo and there's a large hedge a couple of buildings away from me that's been infested for years. Management won't do anything but the hedge will be dead in a year or two. I'm very fortunate that as long as I check my dozen or so tropicals, houseplants (outside for summer) and succulents every week or so my problem is just 5-6 cotton looking blobs every 2-3 weeks. I put surgical gloves on sat down and got a dozen or more bugs off Of a bay leaf tree in a common area right next to the infested hedge about a month ago and rubbed Neem Oil on just about every leaf (patience) and still NO MEALYBUGS. It's a pain but even with a lot of rain there's no bugs and the leaves are so clean and shiny and there's a lot of new growth.