There are different kinds of mealy bug. But they’re basically white fluffy things that love a humid environment. Hosing your plant leaves with a sharp hose (particularly those that don’t get rainfall) periodically can help prevent them.

Treat with neem or eco-oil.

There is a new kind of mealy bug in Darwin and South East Queensland- papaya mealy bug - that loves frangipani, papaya and hibiscus in particular. We had a very bad outbreak in the summer of 2024-25 and it was very hard to treat once established. If you do use oil based treatments you need to be thorough and regular and identify the problem early. Consider bagging and binning infected foliage or plants.