Yep, it'll be Phormium mealybug - I use malathion to treat this, but I'm not sure it's still available. If it is, make sure you spray it thoroughly at the base, separating leaves where possible. No need to spray the length of the leaves though, it tends to reside at the bottom of the plant, where all the leaves are closely crowded.

cheers. any idea where i can get hold of malathion from?? if not is there any other treatment that will work? will it kill off the plant?

Just checked on line and it seems that it is still available, though now made by Murphy. You need liquid malathion and you will need a spray to mix it in - avoid breathing in the spray, don't get it on your skin. Suggest you ring your local garden centre to see if they have it, or a hardware store, or B & Q, those sort of places, or order online. There may be other products now that profess to treat Phormium mealybug, but I know that malathion works, as I've been using it for a while now. You need to keep an eye out for recurrence of the mealybug, usually, the following spring or early summer.

thanks alot, i'll get down the garden centre tomorrow! if treated right away will the plant be ok?

Yes, it'll recover well and should start to grow better. Make sure you mix it correctly, the malathion I mean. I'd phone the centre first - I could have sworn I heard that liquid malathion had been withdrawn from general use (i.e., the public).

any suggestions if it has been withdrawn?
because this plant has mealybug will that be the reason it's not grown like my other phormium?

Most likely, yes - I didn't know what was wrong with mine (about five years ago) just knew it wasn't growing properly, and then I realised it had mealybug - grew on much better once treated. Just checked on line by googling phormium mealybug, took me to a site with info about it, check it out for yourself. Suggests that imidaproclid (contained in Provado) may work too BUT imidaproclid has been linked with destruction of bee colonies, so only use it if you can't get malathion. Even malathion should be sprayed at the end of the day, when most insects have stopped flying.

treated it with Provado thoroughly at the base of the plant. should i notice the white mould dissapering now?

No idea, never used Provado myself, always stick to Malathion - should be pretty quick, it is with the one I use, almost immediate.

i asked for malathion and they said it had been banned. she was sure provado would be fine tho. thanks for your help.

you any experience with bay trees? thinking of buying one for the back garden but to keep in a pot not my boarder. would it be best to remove the plastic pot and replant in nice big pot or just drop the bay tree in the new pot still in the plastic one from the garden centre?? hope that makes sence

No, turn it out of its current pot and replant in your own pot. Unless you mean you just want to stand the bay tree, in its current pot, inside your own pot without planting it properly in compost. Thanks for mentioning malathion being banned, I thought it had - I shall have to conserve my last couple of doses in my old bottle!

yeah i would want to totally replant in my own pot. think it would look a lot better than just keeping the original pot and standing it in a new one.