Mealy infestation in large collection (institute sized)

[HighSeas]

Originally Posted by lazaah

I really have to bite my tounge to this reply. I almost consider your comment racist, and I cannot stand people whom try to use.....

Now THAT was a rant. Actually...YOU asked for advice and while multiple people were kind enough to share their "opinions", I simply don't understand the point of coming back with an insult to the one opinion that you don't agree with. That was rude. Shall we turn THAT into a "generational" issue? Lighten up and get yourself some manners.

Originally Posted by lazaah

I don't mean to offend you but pull your head in buddy.

Seriously? Really? Being "offensive" is EXACTLY what your intent was. Save it and perhaps brush up on your approach.

[orchidsarefun]

Originally Posted by HighSeas

Now THAT was a rant. Actually...YOU asked for advice and while multiple people were kind enough to share their "opinions", I simply don't understand the point of coming back with an insult to the one opinion that you don't agree with. That was rude. Shall we turn THAT into a "generational" issue? Lighten up and get yourself some manners.



Seriously? Really? Being "offensive" is EXACTLY what your intent was. Save it and perhaps brush up on your approach.

errrr..........insulting a Director of a Botanical Garden as a "troglodyte" is OK ? And making further comments against the Director that had no place in a reply ? Like let all the plants die as some sort of a life lesson ? Where is your outrage against these uncalled for statements against someone who the poster doesn't know and has an opinion that he doesn't agree with ?

[HighSeas]

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

errrr..........insulting a Director of a Botanical Garden as a "troglodyte" is OK ? And making further comments against the Director that had no place in a reply ? Like let all the plants die as some sort of a life lesson ? Where is your outrage against these uncalled for statements against someone who the poster doesn't know and has an opinion that he doesn't agree with ?

Let's start with the first concept that you apparently don't understand. I'm not outraged about anything and I'm certainly not one to be "prompted" into outrage, as you suggest, based on yours or anyone else's opinion. That said....

A "troglodyte" is a cave dweller. (Big deal) I'm sorry, but that just doesn't seem to be a call for alarm to me. Then again...I'm not one to get overly excited or emotional about things that really don't matter.

I'll leave that to you....

[orchidsarefun]

" Then again...I'm not one to get overly excited or emotional about things that really don't matter. I'll leave that to you...."


the irony is you felt obliged to make your original comment despite this stated "belief".
I suggest you look up the appropriateness of using capitals on an internet posting because its evident that you don't know the etiquette involved in doing so and the message it sends to an informed reader. Maybe also the gratuitous use of emoticons ?
As for me being "emotional", I do respond when the messenger is attacked, and not the message. Especially on a selective basis.

[lepetitmartien]

All institutions here are now fighting organic (MNHN, Serres d'Auteuil, Serres du Sénat…).

Now to stop on a large scale (pun intended) without chemical will be some job.

- Trash the eventual hybrids that can be find easily, especially on catts like and oncidium like. See with the director before doing so. The aim is to limit the number of plants to treat and not arm the collection.

- I'd start by a general cleaning by mechanical means (be it by hand of with water), and general water (1l)/alcohol (3 tsp)/safer soap (liquid, 1 tsp) spraying everywhere. repeat every 2-3 days, and if you see one mealies : spray on the spot. It's a contact killer.

- You can use Neem as long as it's fresh and duly emulsified with safer soap, not to clog stomates, or it'll kill the plants even more surely.

- If there's nettles near, or you can have good nettle manure, spray with a 2% solution, it's repulsive, they don't like it at all. Fresh nettles will be killing them (24h maceration 1 kg in 10 liters, dilute 5%)

- Clean the area. (you should find one or two volunteers to help, there's an orchid society around?)

- Repot everything that can be so without trouble (for example, don't on catts not issuing new roots). Those that can't be, maybe a bath with a little alcohol in it (I tried one teaspoon per liter on big hybrid phals, it's does marvels, be careful, soak before, and flush after. I have not tried on small roots or temperamental plants so be careful.

- Here the Museum in Paris, and the senate GH use a spray with essential oils when the auxiliaries are not enough. As you're in a hurry, the auxiliaries are not an option fast enough. The spray : for one liter of water, 3 tsp of safer soap, 10-15 drops of essential oil of cinnamon bark (not another kind of cinnamon EO!).

The combo alcohol/soap and nettle manure helped me to stop a mealies invasion in a month, with 2 applications of each when needed after a total cleaning, nettle bath, and repot. Chemicals (when working) could be of help, sure, it means less work, but it won't mean not to clean the bugs away, not to repot.

First things first: get some help of one or two persons into orchids, you'll need them, and clean the mealies away with a douche and a tooth brush to start the elimination.

[Orchid Whisperer]

I agree in principle with James, but another approach might spare some of the plants.

Discuss with the director & get approval to do some triage. Identify and segregate plants that show no infestation from plants that do show infestation. For the infested plants, determine if any of them are:

(a) Otherwise diseased (fungus, bacteria, probable virus, etc.) Get permission to discard any that appear to be virused. Decide if the others are worth treating.

(b) Rare or unique. A rare or unique species, or even some rare old hybrids, may be worth saving, if they are not virused.

(c) Any NOIDs in the collection? For a botanical garden, these should be discarded anyway (again, with permission).

If the orchids have mealybugs, the orchid house will have mealybugs. You may want to research whether there are any mealybug predators that are approved as biological control, such as Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Mealybug ladybird), an Australian native. I think Cryptolaemus montrouzieri have been used in NZ as well. They have been introduced in some places here in the USA for mealybug control (they work on some scale insects, too). Check with any university in your area that has an entomology department. See if the director will approve this biological approach.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Woah, lazaah! I think the above is a bit harsh. The statement James made is in no way racist - we don't even know the race of the head of the gardens! For that matter, I don't know your race, and you don't know mine.

I suggested a biological control that I thought might work given the constraints you have. However, I agree with James and Ray that certain chemical controls would probably be more appropriate.

[HighSeas]

Yes I did make my comment...regardless of your perception.

Apparently you don't have enough to do.

You can respond however you choose to whomever you choose as far as I'm concerned. And build your perceptions however you see fit.

Shall I get you a box of Kleenex now?

[WhiteRabbit]

Wow

Thread is closed, and everyone posting here should know why. Insulting other members, personal attacks are not tolerated.