female mealybugs

Is your plant indoors or in a greenhouse by chance? Those are the most common environments for mealybug infestations.

Thanks for the answer. It's been a big mystery to me. Nothing I googled got me any answers. Not indoors, it is on my front porch, but it is well sheltered. I have to water it despite any rain we get. How do I get rid of them?

There are lots of chemical products for this problem. Bayer Advanced makes a Tree and Shrub Insect Control product that would do the trick.