Mealybugs, Ben! Ants do farm them, just like they do aphids, so the first step is ant control. If you can do that organically, that is all to the good, since outdoor infestations of mealybugs are also usually a sign that the beneficial insects in the area have been decimated by chemical spraying. Coarse ground dried orange or tangerine peel around the base of the affected plants, or strategically placed ant baits made with spinosad are the organic methods. Strategically placed Amdro is probably the safest of the chemical methods of ant control.
While dealing with the ants, I would carefully spray the infested areas of the plants with insecticidal soap, or a weak solution of organic dish soap. When mealybugs attack houseplants, they can often be removed by daubing them with rubbing alcohol, using an artist's brush or cotton swab. That's not practical for serious outdoor infestations, though, and it may take several applications of soap to get rid of enough of the mealybugs, and it is easy to miss a colony or two. Sprays containing neem oil are slower acting than the soap, but don't have to be applied as exactly, since they have a residual action which keeps baby mealybugs from maturing.
Meanwhile, think how you can deal with pests more naturally, so that the many natural enemies of mealybugs--and other plant pests--can come back--or be brought back!

Awesome! This is a first for me. Thanks so much for the info. I usually deal with several aphid infestations a year, but this is my first time with mealy bugs. As to the last part of your comment- what would be some organic ways to prevent infestations like this?

The first step is to stop using chemical pesticides as much as possible. That may be difficult if the neighbors' landscape maintenance comes in every month and hoses down their entire yards with "bug spray"--composition not admitted to! Another hurdle may be the city's version of of mosquito control. Absolutely necessary, between West Nile and Zika viruses, but I sometimes think that the cities need to explore more natural methods. Reducing the chemical load helps natural enemies of the pests to multiply again, though the full effects may take 6 months to 2 years to be felt.
Next, I would find ways to make the yard friendlier to beneficial insects. Water restrictions allowing, hosing the garden down with plain water once every 2-4 weeks will encourage predatory mites, which eat pest mites and some of the smaller sucking insects. Planting plants that bear small flowers provide food for parasitoid wasps when they aren't laying eggs in aphids and mealybugs. Spraying the plants with a solution of baker's yeast and whole wheat pastry flour--called "wheast"--in early spring will give something for green lacewings and predatory beetles to eat until their chosen pray appear.
Another help is to go online to commercial insectaries and buy beneficial insects for your garden. Ladybugs and praying mantid eggs are often available in nurseries, but aren't always the most efficient way of dealing with pests. Unfortunately, the best ones have little shelf life, and so are best ordered in special.
Hope this all helps, Ben!

soft soap not detergent will break down their waxy coat. if you only have a few then a cotton bud/q-tip dipped in methylated spirits rubbed on their backs will kill them effectively.

That's why I recommended the organic brands, Sbg. Most of them are actually genuine soap.

Thank you!!!!!
Awesome info.

Question: would neem oil be considered a chemical pesticide? I don't use anything but that.

Genuine neem oil is 100% natural vegetable oil pressed from fruit and nuts of the neem tree.