Question: What are the white bugs that are killing my coleus? They were fine until I brought them indoors this winter.

Answer: Those are mealy bugs, soft-bodied scale insects. No plant is more attractive to them than coleus. Most general-purpose insecticides will control them, but be sure to hit the backs of the leaves with the spray. Let the spray run down into the leaf axils, too. The small insects seek that protection. Some people use cotton swabs dipped in rubbing alcohol to remove small outbreaks physically. Don’t let them spread to your other houseplants. They’re the most obnoxious of all our houseplant insect pests.