Systemic insecticide

[Bobkap]

Today I washed my Phal's with the Bayer tree and shrub product to control the scale insect problem that I have.
The members of the Board were extremely helpful.
My next inquiry that I have is if the Imidaclorid is a systemic pesticide should I add it to my watering liquid.
I water them now with MSU 1oz. Per gallon and 1/8 tsp. Superthrive.
Would this aid in ridding the scale insects?
I water about once a weak depending on how much the home heating system is on and that is controlled by the weather outside.

[MattWoelfsen]

I'm replying to see if other members will add their post-treatment program.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Mix at the concentration prescribed for the product and spray at the time intervals specified on the label. You can spray the riots and the growing medium. However I would not add it to the water used for regular growing. For scale an mealybugs,treat at the intervals indicated for 1 to 1.5 months.

If you use it constantly, with watering , you run the risk of some insects becoming tolerant of the insecticide.

[u bada]

I'm new here, so not sure but there may be quite a few threads on mealy/scale control... and it's a huge discussion in plant groups and especially at the commercial level...

I've grown a gazillion different things and certain plants attract this stuff more than others... scale love many succulents, and similarly orchid pbs and fleshy orchid leaves... but also random things like hellebores if you're familiar with that garden plant... anyway, I've tried so many different insecticides and other ideas and at the end of the day, the best thing is just to keep at it and spray with something that'll kill them immediately. I've never had long term success with imidaclorprid, plus using it in the water is suspect with affecting roots so i try not to use too often.

I now stick to organic stuff and there are a lot of products on the market. pyrethrins, neem oil, orange/ citrus oil, and even products with chili or rosemary oils extract mixes are satisfactory at killing the bugs, you spray and wait a bit, a day even then then you just have to wash every last body off the plant that you can. and probably spray again in a week and keep going on like that as necessary. Well, probably not more than 3x treatments until a reinfestation.

In the case of cattleyas, for example, which scale loves the most it seems, bad infestations get into the old rhizomes and root tangles so its hard to remove. I honestly have to toss them at that point. it's just not worth infecting other plants.

the insects you see are just the female aspects and are pretty sedentary, the male ones and younger nymphs run around. This group of insects are a bit complicated in their behavior. Many of them have relationships with ants that farm them for the sugars they excrete. So in citrus farms and such where they can be a huge problem, treating for ants end up being a big part of the job. In organic gardens using wasps or lady bugs to eat them is also a remedy... but in the home, solutions can be elusive.

I do recommend that to kill the nymph stage is as crucial as the sedentary stage, so if you go the organic treatment route, spraying the area, and even pots helps. Some of these products are pretty strong so too many treatments particularly on more sensitive plants or directly on roots probably isn't a good idea. i generally just wash those plants or areas with just water. With certain like neem oil you have to dilute more than you think.

my 2 cents...

[Ray]

One of the potential problems with the "get them as nymphs" approach is that most insecticides only affect adults.

If I have a major infestation, I will use a systemic insecticide and an insect growth regulator, as the former kills the adults, while the latter prevents eggs and larvae from maturing, so they just age and die without reproducing.

Over the last 6 months or so, I have been experimenting with BotaniGard, which is a fungus that attacks immature stages of insects, again, killing them before they can mature. Seems to be pretty effective. Between that and the Inocucor Garden Solution, which uses bacteria and fungi to battle rots (among its other benefits), things are doing well.