Mealybugs and scales
and fruit are concerned, these often drop off; plant sap is low in proteins and rich in sugars. In order to gain an adequate intake of protein, mealybugs [...] the sooty mould that grows on it. Ants are also attracted by the honeydew. In fact, the honeydew with its sooty mould is usually the first sign of the [...] level of photosynthesis in the leaves also reduces flower and fruit production; in ornamental crops, the mere presence of mealybugs is sufficient to render