Kath-- use Dyna-Gro ProTeKt once a month, or even once a week. Makes the leaves tuffff, and less succulent to the pesties. I only get mealies on flowers any more-- the leaves are too tough for them.
Also, use a *systemic* pesticide. Mealies are such good hiders. I've found them inside the undeveloped nodes of a spike, between the stem and the bottom-most baby leaves, etc etc. You can't always bend the leaf back far enough to be sure they aren't in there, reproducing. So use a systemic.
About dogs, my dog use to sidle up to plants and keep her face straight at me to look innocent but still try to catch a leaf or whatever in the side of her mouth without getting caught.
Dogs are wonderfu! By moving the plant higher, you are probably going to teach Sully to climb
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