Aphids or mites and are either harmfull to chams?

[Lyneeso]

So, I seem to have what a friend of mine has said are aphids or "some sort of plant mites" They have appeared along with a white "cobbweb" like "powdery" substance around the base of the leaves on my Sheffelera and Croton plants. The bugs themselves don't seem to be moving around. They are just little flat ovular "things" that are huddled in small bunches all over the stems of the plants. When you apply pressure to their "bodies" they do in fact "smash" like a bug would, oozing out a green "stain". My cham had one on her side. I touched it lightly with a q-tip and it fell right off. Any idea what these little "bugs" are and are they harmfull to my chams? If so, how do I get rid of them????
Thanks!
Lyneeso

 

[kinyonga]

They sound like mealy bugs. They shouldn't hurt the chameleon.

Do they look like this...
http://www.ento.okstate.edu/ddd/insects/mealybugs.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mealybug

Mealy bugs are hard to get rid of...but they can be gotten rid of by using lady bugs....YOU NEED TO TAKE THE PLANT OUT OF THE CAGE WHILE YOU USE THE LADY BUGS SINCE THEY WILL BE TOXIC TO THE CHAMELEON.

 

[Lyneeso]

yup those are them!

so are you sure they won't cause any issues later down the road? I guess when ladybugs in bulk are in season I will deal with them.

 

[Miss Lily]

That's what they are!! I had those bugs in my Hibiscus last year and I didn't put it in my cham's cage in case she ate them! I let the plant die off over the winter, and it started to shoot leaves again earlier this year. I watered it and it's come back to life again, and the bugs are now gone! Hopefully Lily will be able to have her Hibiscus in her cage this year when it's big enough!