Florida has a new invasive pest that we need to keep on our radar. Here’s what you need to know about Pasture Mealybugs.
What Is the Pasture Mealybug?
Pasture mealybugs are small, invasive, sap-feeding insects that attack different grasses and sugarcane. They have a distinctive white, waxy or wool-like appearance and may be found on the undersides of leaves, around stems and crowns, within thatch and near the soil surface.
Pasture Mealybugs have been spreading across the state of Florida since May 2026. While much of the initial concern centered on pastures, forage production and sugarcane, the pest's ability to infest a variety of grasses makes it important for landscape and turf professionals to be aware of the signs and potential for spread.
You will be able to recognize mealybugs by their oval shape, and their fluffy white coat.
Recent reporting by the News-Press highlighted the pest's impact on Florida sugarcane crops and landscape grasses as researchers continue to learn more about its distribution and management. The article goes into detail about how these pests are currently affecting Florida, how Florida leaders are responding, and why they are so hard to get rid of.
“A crop slaughtering invasive species has spread to 25 Florida counties in five months, sucking the life from sugarcane and threatening an ecosystem decay as pasturelands succumb to its stealthy assault…”
“...It’s potential widespread destruction of food crops, cattle grasses and millions of residential lawns triggered a Sept. 15 addition of pasture mealybug to a state emergency declaration signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The declaration supports a coordinated response to mitigate the pest’s impact…”
We are seeing some of the largest impacts on Florida’s most extensively grown crop: Sugarcane. It is causing the crop to turn brown, and while there’s no long-term solution at the moment, University of Florida scientists, the Department of Agriculture, the Florida AG Coalition, and Florida Farm Bureau are all rushing to find a solution and slow the infestation.
Read more about all of the details on mealybugs in this News-Press article: READ MORE.
Sources and Additional Information
News-Press: “Invasive pasture mealybug hits Florida sugarcane crops, landscape grasses,” September 24, 2026.
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS): Pasture Mealybug.
University of Florida IFAS Extension: Pasture Mealybug resources and *Pasture Mealybug: A New Threat for Pasture Grass, Turfgrass, and Sugarcane in Florida*.
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