Mealybugs win, agave loses

Two years ago, I posted this photo of my Agave parryi var. truncata:

It showed the beginnings of what would turn into a particularly insidious infestation of mealybugs, the bane of my existence as a gardener. It also marked the start of a multi-year war against these little 💩💩💩.

Fast forward to August 2018:

Not too bad, you might say, aside from some dried leaves.

Look closer:

And closer:

And even closer:

Nasty, isn't it?

I did try. I alternated between spraying the entire agave with rubbing alcohol, applying a systemic insecticide, and hosing off the fluffy mess with a strong stream of water.

For a while it seemed like I was gaining the upper hand.

Then they came back.

So I repeated my regimen. Over. And over.

Eventually, I began to slack off, both out of frustration and inertia. Ultimately, that's what led to the massive infestation you see above.

I give up. The mealybugs have won, the agave has lost.

But the ultimate victory—that's miiiiiiine.

Why? Because I just heaved the agave into the yard waste bin. It required the use of a pitch fork and a cutting spade but I prevailed. Now the mealybugs are gone.

I'm tempted to go a completely different route and try something that will never be infested by mealybugs, or anything else for that matter. Something patriotic like this:

Of course I would only use the highest quality faux fleurs. 

Or maybe a more pest-resistant kind of agave:

What do you think?

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