Mealy bugs?

[rbarata]

Alcohol kills by contact. Also makes hidden bugs leave their hidding places, hence it's easier to find them.

[Rothrock42]

Oh when you said alcoholic solution I figured you meant that was a shot of brandy for me! I find it helps a lot when dealing with the pests!

Remember a bug would eat you if it could, show them no mercy! Good luck and fingers crossed.

[rbarata]

Oh when you said alcoholic solution I figured you meant that was a shot of brandy for me!

When you have to deal with some pests, better have a shot of brandy first for courage (you can call it motivation )

[estación seca]

Yes, insects can and do develop resistance to pesticides.

[malteseproverb]

I think it may be that I sprayed a month ago and now is just the time to do it again. I hope it's not resistant. Either way next week it's a round of Talstar for good measure.

[rbarata]

Originally Posted by malteseproverb

I think it may be that I sprayed a month ago and now is just the time to do it again. I hope it's not resistant. Either way next week it's a round of Talstar for good measure.

You should do it every week, for 3 to 4 weeks and not once a month.

[Orchid Whisperer]

The Bayer 3-in-1 should work (use weekly for a month or more), but just in case there is some pesticide resistance, Ray has often mentioned Acephate as another systemic which may be used.

[Arizona Jeanie]

It seems to me that systemic insecticides need to be absorbed into the plant tissues, then sucked back out by the bug in order to work. Many insects, mealybugs included, are pretty well armored against things sprayed on them. So my questions are: why spray systemic insecticides onto the outside of the plant and on the bugs? How do you get the orchid to absorb the chemical so the bug can suck it up? Seems to me like a good soaking drench of the whole plant would be the way to go, but I keep hearing orchid people talk about spraying with the systemic. I've had mealybugs on one plant, they definitely were living on the roots and under the soil line, not just on the stem. Imidacloprid granules watered into the soil worked well on that one, but it was a cactus with roots and soil. I was very glad that I had isolated it from the orchids until I found out what those little white critters were and got rid of them! But-what's the right way to treat an orchid with a systemic? Thanks,

[Leafmite]

They do become resistant. That is why they recommend cleaning the plant first, then using the systemic. Malathion and Sevin are very good ways to get rid of the mealy bugs on contact (please do not use these indoors). Sevin is usually ground zero for bugs (except mites) and I have never needed a second treatment. Malathion is every two weeks. Neither should ever be used indoors or around aquatics.

I have sprayed plants with olive oil in the evening and washed them off the next morning in soapy water and the plants were clean and remained so.

I have just started using diatomaceous earth. So far, so good. I had a little scale and mealies on the fig trees and some orchids and it seems to dry them. If it would fail, I plan to use Neem oil which I bought as a back up.

[malteseproverb]

Jeanie, I'm just using the product as it says on the packaging. So that's why people spray. It says it right there in the packaging. They don't tell you how much to spray, but I spray everywhere (under leaves etc) and a lot so that it passes thru the roots just like when you water. What is your preferred method? Using a watering can or soaking the plant in a bucket or something?