The foliage of damaged plants loses its green color and can appear stunted, distorted or curied. Aphids secrete a sticky substance called honeydew which gives the plant a shiny appearance and leads to the growth of black, sooty mold. Mealy Bugs Mealy bugs are slender, flat insects covered by a waxy substance. They form a white, cottony-mass. Adult mealybugs inhabit cracks and crevices of buds, stems and branches, weakening the growth of the plant.
Mealybugs secrete honeydew.
The scale is actually a covering that serves to protect the scale insects. Females lay eggs under the protective covering. When the young hatch, they are transparent, oval and flat. The first growth stage is the crawler, susceptible to insecticides. Check for scale along leaf veins and on stems.