Killing the pests or my plants? Mealys and Scale

[Daethen]

If you want to truly be in control, I recommend malathion. I had scale on about 50 plants and I mixed up a big plastic bin full of malathion. I dipped every plant, pot and all for a few minutes in it and repeated a week or so later. Scale is gone completely.

[northernorchids]

Originally Posted by Zoi2

I've used alcohol and q-tips for scale. It works wonderfully if you catch the plant during a light infestation, I'm not so sure with a heavy infestation.
Joann

I was using alcohol in the beginning, but this infestation is to heavy to do that. I'd never find the pests in all the places they seem to have gotten.
It took me hours but I finished my cleaning job. Only threw away 3 plants. I was happy to see that only a couple of plants had scale and only 1 was bad. The one plant I didn't dunk was a Phrag because I discovered it had a flower bud coming up. This will only be the second time it's bloomed for me (it was in full bloom at the time of the fire, so I didn't even get to enjoy the first time). I looked it over and only found a few mealys, so I just wiped the leaves down and then watered it w/just a small amt of the systemic. I'll have to keep a close eye on it and catch any pests on it quickly. Once it's done flowering I'll repot and treat it more thoroughly then.
Now I guess I just wait and see how everyone does and keep an eye out for new pests.

[northernorchids]

Originally Posted by Daethen

If you want to truly be in control, I recommend malathion. I had scale on about 50 plants and I mixed up a big plastic bin full of malathion. I dipped every plant, pot and all for a few minutes in it and repeated a week or so later. Scale is gone completely.

If what I've done fails, I'll try the malathion. I have to wait until it gets warm enough so I can use it outside. I wouldn't want to use it in the house around my pets. Officially spring is here, but it's snowing out right now.

[dounoharm]

clean and repot everything, i would mix a bucket of the systemic and soap mixture and dip the plants, scrubbing the roots and crevices with a toothbrush...please use rubber gloves and do this outdoors....then repot....spray everything once a week with the systemic and soap for 6 weeks, then continue to spray once a month, your infestation should die out.....gl

[shadytrake]

Originally Posted by Daethen

If you want to truly be in control, I recommend malathion. I had scale on about 50 plants and I mixed up a big plastic bin full of malathion. I dipped every plant, pot and all for a few minutes in it and repeated a week or so later. Scale is gone completely.

Ugh that stuff is so stinky...but it works! I use it to spray the greenhouse floor and the benches.

[Daethen]

It was dead of winter when I had the problem. Yes, it is stinky, but it WORKS!!! I didn't want to spray everything which is why I chose to dip. And I didn't want to repot as I had just potted everything a short time before. I know others have their own ways, but this one works for me, so I am going to stick to it.

[northernorchids]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll work in that malathion as soon as weather permits going outdoors. And I'll keep up w/the systemic and soap. I had to run to the big city yesterday and stopped at a real garden store (which we don't have in my little town). Picked up some Pyrethrum, a horticultural oil and some Bonide systemic that you sprinkle on the soil and water in (sounded a bit safer to handle). Same ingredient as the Bayer, just in powder form. I used the Pyrethrum and Bonide on the Pfrag I didn't dip. I'll save the oil for a later application if needed.

[northernorchids]

Well it's been several months since I started this battle. Things are looking better. One drastic thing I finally did was toss ALL of my Phals. They seemed to be magnetics for mealys. Every bloom would be fuzzy w/them. They are inexpensive to replace, but I'll wait for awhile. Right now I have 1 Phal that my husband bought me and I'm keeping a close eye on it. I also tossed a few plants that didn't seem to be recovering well from the previous neglect.
Everything has been repotted, watered w/a systemic, Bonide systemic powder sprinkled around the roots when I repotted, sprayed w/pyrethrim, and I try to go over the plants every few weeks hand cleaning problems. with an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Right now I only have a small scale problem on 2 Oncd (and they are divisions of the same plant).
There's good air circulation where they are at, so that should not be a problem.
My Phrag (Paul Eugene Conroy?) bloomed beautifully and is sending up new growth. I even purchased my self another Phrag to try.
I haven't tried the malathion for the scale, I forgot it over the summer. If we get a warm day yet this fall I'll try it on the problem Oncd.

[Discus]

I've also had a long running battle with scale - malathion is about the only thing that works, particularly for the sneaky ones that work their way riiiight down into the leaf axils (particularly on things like Tolumnias). It's also quite hard to remove scale from cacti (some of which also have it ) through all the spines, so spraying it is :/

[silken]

I find Malathion to be great for almost any insect problem. It does stink, but I can live with that. I don't want any bugs on my plants.