Question
I had a jade plant and during the summer I had to take it outside and wash it.  It was covered with fuzzy white bugs, at first I thought it was mold.  I washed the whole plant with a toothbrush and got rid of all the bugs.  For one week I washed it if any bugs came back.  I moved it to a different location and for a while it was o.k. but the  bugs came back.  Also the plants that were on the same table where the jade plant used to be also began getting these bugs.  What are these bugs and how do I get rid of them once and for all??.  Also what causes them and where do they come from?

Answer
Carol,

They are called mealy bugs and I have problems with them myself. They attack some plants worse than others. The easiest way to keep them at bay is with rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Go to Walmart and buy several large bottles of rubbing alcohol and a spray bottle. mix 2 cups of alcohol with 2 cups of water and put 1 teaspoon of dish soap in the mix. Then spray all the plants that have mealy bugs with the mix. Make sure you get the fronts and backs of all the leaves and the trunk and branches and surface of the soil. Spray twice a week for 2 weeks then once a week for a month. After that spray again if you see any sign of them coming back. They can come in on new plants or the eggs can be in soil you buy, or I swear they  just be in the air in the summer and come in. In winter they may hitchhike in on you if you have been in a mall that has plants with them, they can come from anywhere. The eggs can live in the soil for several weeks before hatching so they can come back when you think they are gone. So you have to be vigilant and when you are trying to get rid of them you have to be persistent. Good luck.

Darlene