Question
I have been reading the questions on cat palms - the white substance on my cat palm is powdery - so is this mold or mealy bugs? I have moved it from the low light area where I was told it would be OK, to brighter indirect sunlight and pulled it out of standing water. What are my options?

Answer
Lydia,
Mealy bugs will look like little bits of cotton balls at leaf joints and on the backs of leaves. Mold will look like a mold on bread only white. If you dab the mealy bugs with rubbing alcohol on a q-tip it kills them and dissolves the "cotton" which is actually a protective coating on their eggs. You can put rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and spray the entire plant to kill any living insects and any eggs that hatch. Do this twice a week for 4 weeks to break the cycle. Mold you can spray with aerosol Lysol spray or the generic version and it will kill the mold. Spray it twice a week until you feel it is totally gone. NEVER leave any houseplant sit in a tray of standing water. Good luck.

Darlene