Back to OB after a very long absence!

[bethmarie]

I'm so happy to see this post. You've been missed!

[Ray]

Camille,

First, welcome back.

Second, if you really want to get rid of mealie bugs, you need to get out the "big guns" - a systemic insecticide, and wet every plant surface and saturate all of the potting media as well, AND repeat that three times at one-week intervals.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Ray

Camille,

First, welcome back.

Second, if you really want to get rid of mealie bugs, you need to get out the "big guns" - a systemic insecticide, and wet every plant surface and saturate all of the potting media as well, AND repeat that three times at one-week intervals.

Nice to see that you are still around Ray!

I had pulled out the big guns fairly early on (imidacloprid), spraying 3 times at one week intervals as you say (didn't saturate the media- that wasn't on the instruction label). Then after a few months they would reappear, so I would do it again. I alternated active ingredients too (but not a systemic). They would always end up returning. I don't have many big gun options left as chemical insecticides are getting very difficult to get ahold of here.

At this point it's too late- the majority of my Phals (bulk of my collection) are also diseased, and I'm down to about 15 of the original 40-50 Phals. I'm going to try one more time to nuke the mealies on the few healthy ones, and in the meantime restart my collection on my windowsill at work (nice south and west facing windows!)

I'm going to do as you suggest (with drenching) for at least 3 weeks, and back up the treatment with insecticidal soap to kill any resistant mealies. I have a young Phal gigantea I've been babying for 3 years, with a spike starting, and there's no way I want to lose that one!

[estación seca]

Hi Camille,

You can kill mealies (and eggs) on your plants by completely submerging them in a solution of liquid dish soap and water, and soaking for some hours. I have done this successfully with cacti, succulents, orchids and Hippeastrum. Ask some entomologists where you work, but entomologist friends have told me just a few minutes suffice to kill insects and eggs. I generally leave plants submerged for 12 hours.

Use just enough soap to break the surface tension / permit some bubbles, perhaps 1-5ml per liter. The soap is necessary to soak the waxy coat of the bugs, and get water into tiny crevices between waxy plant parts. You must submerge the entire plant, holding it down with a weight, if necessary, like preparing sauerkraut or kimchee. Swish the plant for a while to try and dislodge bubbles in plant crevices.

It can be done by submerging an entire plant in a pot, but I think it is better to unpot and treat bare-root. Then repot into fresh medium.

If the plant is badly infested, has a lot of epidermal punctures and temperatures are wrong, this can kill the plant. My experience has been such plants are so infested they will not survive in any event. Plants without much insect load are not bothered by this treatment if during their normal growing season and temperatures are what they expect. I also do this, before planting, with any commercial amaryllids I buy as bare bulbs.

Also look up threads here on using diatomaceous earth to treat mealies. I have not used it, but others here report it works well.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Glad your back and I'm so sorry about the bug problem. That would be very disappointing. I don't seem to get here very often anymore either.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Hi Camille,

You can kill mealies (and eggs) on your plants by completely submerging them in a solution of liquid dish soap and water, and soaking for some hours. I have done this successfully with cacti, succulents, orchids and Hippeastrum. Ask some entomologists where you work, but entomologist friends have told me just a few minutes suffice to kill insects and eggs. I generally leave plants submerged for 12 hours.

Use just enough soap to break the surface tension / permit some bubbles, perhaps 1-5ml per liter. The soap is necessary to soak the waxy coat of the bugs, and get water into tiny crevices between waxy plant parts. You must submerge the entire plant, holding it down with a weight, if necessary, like preparing sauerkraut or kimchee. Swish the plant for a while to try and dislodge bubbles in plant crevices.

It can be done by submerging an entire plant in a pot, but I think it is better to unpot and treat bare-root. Then repot into fresh medium.

If the plant is badly infested, has a lot of epidermal punctures and temperatures are wrong, this can kill the plant. My experience has been such plants are so infested they will not survive in any event. Plants without much insect load are not bothered by this treatment if during their normal growing season and temperatures are what they expect. I also do this, before planting, with any commercial amaryllids I buy as bare bulbs.

Also look up threads here on using diatomaceous earth to treat mealies. I have not used it, but others here report it works well.

Thank you for this excellent advice. I do put a few drops of dishsoap into my insecticide mix but that's applied by spraying, and not soaking. I know what I'll be doing this weekend!

My entomologists colleagues will be of no help- our lab was intentionally rearing pest insects- not killing them! now where I work it's focused on plant diseases.

But because I need some cheering up through all this, I've just ordered 6 new orchids. Those are getting delivered directly to my office address and will decorate my windowsill there. Mainly Phals that I already lost to mealies/disease and wanted to replace.

[syspila]

Glad you are back! In your post, mealy bugs are your enemy. Me, I have had a bad attack of mites that I finally seem to have subdued!

[Optimist]

I've been a member since 2013. I had similar problems in 2016-2017. I nearly died, and was out of work for a year. I took the time to finish my Master's degree. Now looking for work. I am lowering my interest in collecting, simply because I want to learn to take care of what I have better-also because I think I will have to make a major move in order to find work, and I do not want more orchids - Maybe in 2019 or so. Welcome home!

[dounoharm]

glad to hear you are well again! and congrats on your phd!! you studied long and hard I know!