Persistent Mealybug Problem

[cb977]

Tin, Lowe's or Home Depot carries it.

Lee, great information...thank you

[christina waines]

I have just read about a new product available to growers in the States called Talus. It sounds great. It is a growth regulator that breaks the lifecycle of both scale and mealies. I sure would like to get some but it isn't available here in Canada.

[Tindomul]

Great link!! Thanks for that!

[cb977]

Thanks for that info, Christina

Here's a link with further information on this product:
http://www.sepro.com/documents/Talus_Tips.pdf

[Taceas]

Well I've tried a couple months of watering with the Bayer systemic stuff, and I still have mealybugs!

I've tried mixing the Safer's insecticidal soap into a spray bottle and that doesn't help.

Mostly I've been resorting to mechanical removal via toothpick/q-tip with alcohol. But I think I've got them all and stop and bam, more. My poor Phalaenopsis' new leaf from a few months ago looks all gnarly and deformed from them sucking as it has been developing.

Although I am now trying this Safer Houseplant Insect Killer Aerosol.

So far I really like the fine mist that thoroughly covers all plant surfaces without feeling like I'm drowning the poor plant. I'll look in a day or so to see how well its working.

Who knew something so little could be so resilient and prone to making humans want to pull their hair out.

Too be honest this poor plant, I really don't want to kill it so I've been trying to take it easy on the chemicals. I'm normally not a "rush to X chemical" type of person, so I'm finding it hard to resort to using them in the first place.

[Tindomul]

How about implementing shock and awe! Use all your methods, one at a time, over a serious of a few weeks. Every 5 or so days you do something to get rid of the mealies even though you don't see any.
Have you treated the media/mount/substrate the plant is on/in? They could be hiding in there.

[Taceas]

Every time I watered with the Bayer systemic, I would soak the pot and substrate in a pan of the Bayer systemic solution for a half hour, then let it drain.

With just about everything I have tried I have drenched the substrate as best I could. Even turning the pieces on the top layer over and spraying them good.

I did say to myself if this aerosol spray doesn't work I'm going to repot it after thoroughly giving it a once over and good drench. I just hate to do that as I just repotted it last summer and it was starting to come out of its funk from that.

[Ross]

Mine must have been minor compared to yours. I sprayed with Schultz twice and that did it for mine. I'll admit, I did the probe attack before spraying!

[Shirley]

Taceas, I have on occasion found that mealybugs have become entrenched in my potting medium and I wasn't able to get rid of them until I went to new medium.

[Leisurely]

Soap and oil will get rid of the pests but only if you are precise in spraying at exactly seven day intervals. Keep out of sun until dry.