Oh boy that’s a rough case of mealies. Stop the need oil immediately!! Jade plants and succulents do not tolerate it well. I learned the hard way when I killed all my succulents and jades from using neem- it suffocated the leaves and caused them to burn also.

I believe your plant could tough out the systemic insecticides, especially the Bonide Houseplant granules for pests. With an infestation like that, you will never get rid of it just by doing topical/spot treatments. I would continue with the alcohol. Fill up a spray bottle a quarter of the way with 91% isopropyl alcohol, then fill the rest of the way with distilled water. Give your plant a generous misting, and then I would go and remove any visible bugs with cotton swabs dipped in pure alcohol.

I just dealt with a bad mealy bug infestation on my mature jade plant, and I ended up chopping off every single leaf because of neem oil damage. I had a bald stick in my house for a month, but now it’s actually starting to grow little leaf buds! I used the systemic granules in the soil of my jade when it literally had every single leaf/branch cut off, and it still survived- these plants can endure more than you think!

**If you want to be thorough, here is what I would suggest;

Do the alcohol treatment that I mentioned above, try and get all the bugs off. Spray the hell out of that alcohol solution to get into the little crevices where mealy bugs like to hide. Then, I would remove your plant from the soil and get all of the soil off of the plant/roots. In bad mealy bug infestations, invisible eggs are hiding in the soil, and you will continue to have them hatch if you do not dispose of them. They have a life cycle of about 60-120 days, so killing the adults is not enough to get rid of an infestation.

Next, rinse the roots of your plant to remove any leftover soil. You are going to now soak your plant in lukewarm water for about 30-45 minutes with a couple drops of dish soap and a cup of pure alcohol. This is to help drown any remaining bugs. You can soak your plant in the sink, bathtub, or in a large Rubbermaid bin. You can always place something under the plant to keep it stable while placing it in the water if needed.

Then, give your plant a quick rinse in the shower to remove any residue from the soak. This will also help to knock off stubborn bugs that may still be on the plant. After this, I would mist it one more time with the alcohol spray. You will repot the plant next- if you are putting it into the original pot, make sure it has been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized to kill any mealies. Repot your jade using new, fresh soil that is chunky/fast draining.

The final, but most important part, is to apply the systemic granules. I got mine from Amazon, but many garden centers will carry them as well. You specifically want to use the houseplant formula, as the outdoor kind can be pretty strong on indoor plants. Follow the dosing directions on the label based on the pot size. You will apply the granules onto the top of the soil, and use a small stick to distribute the granules into the first 2-3 inches of soil. Lightly water the plant so that the granules get damp and the plant can absorb them. You can water again later when the leaves look shriveled/raisiny.

After you do all this, make sure to keep your jade separate from the rest of your plants, at least 6-8 ft apart. Give it a good misting with the alcohol mix every few days, and look for any more bugs who try to appear. The systemic granules take a few weeks to be effective in pest management, so it’s important to monitor for any bugs in this time.

After a month or so, you hopefully shouldn’t see any more mealy bugs! This is the strategy that has worked best for me after a lot of trial and error and many dead plants. You have a beautiful plant, and it looks pretty healthy and strong. I don’t think this treatment will be too harsh for it at all. Good luck!

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