Regularly check for infestations so that a treatment can be applied before the plants are disfigured by lacebugs. Thorough treatment of the undersides of the leaves is needed for best results. Mealybugs are relatives of the scale insects. They have rather soft scales and soft bodies covered with a white powdery wax. Mealybugs damage plants by sucking sap and producing honeydew, which attracts ants and supports the growth of sooty mold fungi.
Mealybugs occur on outdoor azaleas, blueberries, and other close relatives.
Affected azaleas may appear unthrifty and yellow. Leaf and Flower Gall of Azalea Also known as pinkster gall, this disease can be conspicuous and unsightly on landscape and greenhouse plants under very humid conditions. Symptoms appear as succulent thickenings of leaves, flower buds, and shoots that are green or pink in color. Affected tissue eventually turns brown, shrinks, and hardens. To manage leaf and flower gall, reduce humidity, avoid excessive leaf moisture, improve aeration through increased spacing, and pick off newly formed galls before they turn white.