If you can get them outside for a quick spray, then a good hort. oil does the trick. Really spray the crap out of them. Do this outside then you won't make a mess in your sunroom. I had them real bad on my jack and a couple of applications was all it took. Good luck.

Not much spider mites but a lot of mealybugs . The trees that have most mealybugs are caimito, sapodilla, june plum, lychee, and some on my guava. The caimito have the most. What I do if there is just a small amount then I would spray the tree with some All Season Oil spray and then wear gloves to clean them up. They come off easily. If there are too many, then I will use a water hose to spray the bugs off. The bugs come off easily using the jet spray aiming close to the branches and leaves. Then I spray the tree with the oil spray or Ortho Disease spray. This will keep them out for while. I just took all my trees out and cleaned them with the water hose today.:)

For the harder to spray one then I suggest hand picking them. First spray the tree with the oil spray then using your hands (wear gloves) and rub them off. My trees does have these hard round brown bugs on them. They are harder to spray so I just hand picked them out.

For the sap, I suggest again using the oil spray and then rub the leaves with your hands. Then wash them out. My whole morning room is full with sticky sap on the floor. I will need to wait until I move all the trees out to clean the floor.

Finally something in my area of expertise that I can answer....because I can tell you everything that didn't work for me, for both scale and aphids.

1. Weekly doses of neem oil did nothing.
2. Insecticidal soap did nothing.
3. Horticultural oil did nothing.
4. I'm in an apartment with no outdoor access, so could only shower them in the shower...which also did nothing.

Finally, out of sheer desperation, I released hundreds of ladybugs onto the plants (yes, into an apartment). The aphids were obliterated, but the ladybugs made friends with the scale and now they hang out on the branches together. I guess they must be eating some of them but the scale reproduce faster than the ladybugs can eat. To help them out I take cotton balls with rubbing alcohol and swab the leavee, particularly the bad areas. This helps a lot and if I do 10-15 leaves a day (the ones where the ladybugs aren't hanging out), I can keep the sticky stuff to a minimum, but it's a constant battle. I haven't found anything that obliterated them, no matter how many times I sprayed, but I like the ladybugs best. I was going to get a couple more citrus but don't think I could keep up with all the swabbing.

Thanks everybody,

Looks like bugs are like our tax, nobody can avoid them. I am so looking forward to the spring and then I can move them out and give them hard cold spray. For now, I can only put them under the shower.

Heavensabvus1, very sorry to hear your story. But I have heard many good things about neem oil, I have high hopes for them, now you break them.

Neem oil has not done a thing for me. Acts more like a bug moisturizer instead. The best bet is the all seasons oil spray like ch3rri mentioned, I couldn't remember the name, it's by Bonide I believe. A good, complete coverage is a must. I pruned the heck out of my jack before I sprayed. Not only removed a lot of scale but left the tree open for easier spraying...and less to spray.

Mealybugs are nasty and can get out of control faster than I ever believed. Very satisfying to smash the little basta$%s with my fingers.

I just released the tiny little mealybug destroyers...a beneficial insect that targets mealybugs. Expensive and were hard to get for a while. They may be small, but I would think I could spot at least one. They've already disappeared without a trace. So much for destroyers.

I think the ladybugs have done the best. I have a little 2.5 gallon aquarium filled with them and feed and water them there and then release a few at a time. Just when I think they've all run away I see them congregating on a plant and if I look closely they are having a snack. I've noticed them sitting on the citrus lately, so they're either partying with the scale or eating a few at a time.