mealy bugs on phal flowers?

[paulemar]

For mealies on flowers I also use Safer Soap insecticidal spray. My technique is to spray all of the flowers, wait about 3-4 minutes, then with another spray bottle of plain water (set on stream) wash off the mealies and residual insecticide. it works pretty well and usually doesn't damage the flowers. I also then use a granular systemic to get any that may have escaped the spray.

Paul

[khozmo]

Paul what systemic pesticide do you use. I just noticed one of my phals has mealy bugs all over two of the flowers. I have taken to them with alcohol but I think that might have been a mistake.

[Kath]

I just noticed one of my phals has mealy bugs all over two of the flowers. I have taken to them with alcohol but I think that might have been a mistake.[/QUOTE]

I too have been using alcohol on my mealy bugs that I found on the flowers, and the the flowers seem to be ok, but I don't know what the end result will be. Flowers will fall off perhaps?

[orchidbingo]

Originally Posted by Kath

I just noticed one of my phals has mealy bugs all over two of the flowers. I have taken to them with alcohol but I think that might have been a mistake.

I too have been using alcohol on my mealy bugs that I found on the flowers, and the the flowers seem to be ok, but I don't know what the end result will be. Flowers will fall off perhaps?[/QUOTE]

I use alcohol on mealy bugs found on flowers then I gently rinse the flower with water.
Since alcohol dehydrates I figure rinsing with water will rehydrate them. One can always hope! I make sure there is lots of air circulating so the flower dries fairly quickly. It seems to work pretty well. The flowers don't fall off or turn brown and sooner than normal.

orchidbingo

[nenella]

Hi All, I have just re read through this thread and for those that have mealy bugs -I have one more suggestion to make: Be sure you check out the leaves (especially under part) & the 'junctions' between them as well as flowers. Also, as already mentioned I also found 2 on a root once!

[Kath]

I look under the leaves regularly, but I had never seen mealies on the flowers before. I got a bit of a shock at first, but now I inspect the plants every day. I'll be transplanting them soon I hope, as that would seem to be the only drastic way to get rid the little blighters! Wash the plant and put it in new medium. I read that on OB somewhere.

[Hedge]

mealies I hate em - curse of cacti as well as orchids and I have yet to find anything that eradicates them apart from in really bad cases ditching the plant concerned. I have also removed spikes thus afflicted in the hope of stopping the spread when chemical treatments don't seemto be efective. I hate using systemics cos they hurt bees.

I have tried spraying with Fairy liquid solution which works reasonably well. And washing plants to remove all the cottonwool egg clusters from the bits you can't get at