Mealybugs on Paph flowers.

[MustangSavvy]

Hi all! I have my first case of Mealybugs and am wondering what exactly to do? I have done some reading but these are on the flowers. Is it okay to do the alcohol on them? Thanks!






I have isolated the plant from the others (18 others), but I figure at this point it is to late.

[orchidsinstl]

I've used 50% diluted rubbing alcohol on flowers, with minimal immediate impact to the flowers. I've also used insecticidal soap and hort oil. I'm sure others will have opinions on which is best.

[james mickelso]

Malathion, Bayer 3-1, or any household and garden insect spray.

[jeremyinsf]

I've had alcohol dry up my buds and make them fall off.

Tweezers, if you have good eyes, and patience, can get rid of some of them in the sheaths.

Unfortunately, sometimes you might need to consider that it's better to save the plant and get it clean and healthy, instead of worrying about current flowers/buds.

I agree that the Bayer 3-1 is the best bet. But, it will ruin flowers/buds too.

[MustangSavvy]

Okay, thank you! I would rather save this plant and protect my others. Do you think I should re-pot it?

[orchidsinstl]

I agree that Bayer and other chemical products are more effective than hort oil, soap, alcohol, but I think it depends if weather permits you to take them outside. I try not to use the chemicals indoors. The safer options will work if you persistently repeat. A very talented grower in my society, who is also a master gardener, will treat mealies indoors in the winter by smooshing them with a skewer, isolate the plant, then use the stronger chemicals when she can move them outdoors. If you're willing to sacrifice the bloom, I would cut it off, repot, and treat the plant. Mealies are incidious creatures.

[dounoharm]

mealies are no small matter! finding them on the blooms like that would tell me that it is a severe infestation, and that likely the rest of the plants including non orchids, are already infected....TAKE OUT THE BIG GUNS! meaning systemics, if you want to keep the mealies and don't care what they are doing to your plant, go ahead and mess around with alcohol and organic stuff, and watch your plants decline over a year or so then die....that's about what will happen, plus the aggravation of piddling with trying to pick them off...heck, YOU CANT EVEN SEE THE LARVAE! picking off adults is not a viable solution...face it, you got mealies, BAD! the media is doubtless full of larvae so you have to repot everything...at this point, I would not worry about the blooms, spray them! if you cut them and try to save them in a vase, the larvae off those blooms will get on your newly cleaned and sprayed plants, so you cant do that either, so spray EVERYTHING! follow the directions on the container of systemic insecticide, and mix it with some insecticidal soap or plain dish soap as a spreader/sticker, that will help keep the stuff on the plant till it is absorbed into the tissue....you will have to spray 3 times every two weeks....if you cant go outside, place the plants (after removing the media and rinsing them) into a large plastic leaf bag, use big plastic gloves, and spray them completely....let dry out of the bag on newspaper in a well ventilated room OUT OF DIRECT SUNLIGHT....two weeks later, put them in the bag pot and all and spray liberally....this will get RID OF THE MEALIES FOR SURE! good luck!

[quiltergal]

If you also drench the media at the same time you spray you may not need to repot. Bayer 3-1 kills the crawlers as well as the adults. I don't think it kills the eggs which is why you have to retreat after the recommended time period to kill the newly hatched.

[kindrag23]

All I can say is yall have some seriously amazing eye sight. Wowza! Also the bayer 3 in 1 is the best I have found. It kills aphids/white flies/spider mites (my hibiscus and gardenia get attacked yearly.) But if u can spray outside it stinks. Good luck. At least you got tk enjoy the blooms for a little while.

[MustangSavvy]

Thanks all!

I was able to get then all off and have so far not seen any signs of them returning. Plant is still in quarantine. All my other plants are fine as well.