Help getting rid of mealybugs without hurting birds

[marcmaubert]

I think I got rid of the mealybugs in my orchids. I only noticed them in my Cattleya and I have been thoroughly checking in every nook and cranny in my orchids ever since). I thoroughly sprayed my Catt 4 times, once every 2 weeks with Ortho Plant care plus (Bifenthrin) and a Pesticide I bought in an orchid show (it's just diluted Potassium hydroxide). Just to be safe I sprayed every orchid once.

So, the questions about the mealybugs are: do you think that was enough to eradicate the problem in my orchids? And, my main concern: How do I get rid of them outside without hurting the birds that come to my feeders? I noticed them in my Ficus and a couple of other really leafy plants, so I can't really check every leaf and remove them by hand. And is it really worth it to spray everything if my neighbors are infected too? My patio is really small and I have two neighbors with small, neglected yards. I'm pretty sure most of my pests come form my neighbors. Thoughts?