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 [...] discolouration of foliage, stunting, and in extreme cases eventual defoliation. However, it is mainly the great quantity of honey-dew that causes the damage [...] 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