Question From: E. Post - East Syracuse, New York, United States
Q: Hi. It's my first time writing in but I stumbled upon your website while trying to identify a little white cluster of nodules on the vine of my ivy plant. I thought that they could be scale but I'd rather have it diagnosed before I scrape them off and treat the plant. I'm a novice gardener and I don't know what type of ivy it is. I've only had it about 5 months and when I first bought it there was a tiny spider living in the soil but I removed it and cleaned out the webs. I haven't transplanted it at all and I haven't noticed any bugs or anything crawling on the leaves or vines or the soil. The leaves are healthy aside from some holes that I believe are from my cat and not any insects nibbling on them. I've attached a few pictures of the cluster. Can you please help me identify these white bumps? Thank you so much!!
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If they are fuzzy, you have mealy bugs. Rub them off with a Q tip dipped in alcohol. These are nasty creatures that once established are hard to get rid of, so check daily and stay on top of them.Best And Happy Yardening, Nancy