Mealy bug infestation
 

Last year, my greenhouse came down with a mealy bug infestation. Now, the tough leaf orchids (i.e. Cattleyas) were hardly touched but I cannot say the same for the softer leaf ones. I tried different sprays and found one that did seem to work. But, it still was not 100% effective at eliminating this pest as I still found infected plants now and then over last winter.
After this spring, the mealy bug infestation seems to have disappeared on its own! Obviously, I was happy at seeing this.

In looking at the plants, I found jumping spiders in amongst them. Do jumping spiders consider mealy bugs a food source? If so, they are more than welcome to live in my collection.

If you consider how big a newly hatched spiderling is it is a possability that they would find mealy bugs quite yummy ... we can hope :D
I would be happy to have any kind of spiders in amoungst my orchids as they do keep down some of the larger pests too.

Just a word of caution. Mealy bugs are almost never gone forever. They can be present at a very low level until suddenly they re-appear with a vengence. Hard leaved types like Cattleya might seem like they aren't a problem, but if there are any loose sheaths around rhizomes and bases of psuedobulbs they often hide there, and can be on the roots too. Spiders might help, but keep watching.

I agree that mealy bugs are among the hardest pest to eliminate. One info source said that their eggs can be spread by air currents. Of course, I have 2 fans in the greenhouse for air circulation.

They particularly liked a pitcher plant I had (the operative word is 'had'). It didn't take more than 2 days for the plant to be covered in their white web.

I did have a success with eliminating them from a christmas cactus. The spray I used is available from Lowe's and has edible fish oil in it as one active ingredient. Unfortunately, the spray's smell is like a fish market on a hot day and the ice maker is broken.

Does anyone know of a systemic insecticide for mealy bugs? With over a 100 plants, using a spray bottle can take a long time, not reach every place on the plants and be expensive.

When you mention web I think more of spider mite.

But mealy bug can be treated systemically by Admire.

won't Orthene handle mealy bug infestations?

I know someone on here uses a jumping spider as pest control in their greenhouse.

Mealies are the bane of my existence. I HATE them. They are SO hard to get rid of in my garden outside with it being so hot and dry. I've gone through a few different products and remedies- hope you have better luck than me!


ETA: wow. Go me. While I've been saying "mealie" I've meant, "spider mite".

Mealies: bane of my existence on orchids INSIDE.
Mites: bane of my existence on orchids and entire garden OUTSIDE.
:dumb: my bad.

In my experience, any systemic is a little late in the game once my plants are already covered, especially the plants where it is hard to cover all of the leaf area to get to all of the pests. But that's just how it is on my end, with conditions so conducive to this pest. :twocents:

ETA: again, correcting myself. (I haven't had coffee yet, give me a break!)
"this pest" = spider mites outside.

Though I have this similar problem with mealies inside. So far, I've kept them at bay with dousings of soapy water.



I wonder if buying a bag of those lady bugs to scatter outside would help with the mites....

Orthene should work to I have no experience with this product but do with Admire. I would never try any chemical on all of my orchids at the same time. Also for Admire I've seen some limited negative side effect on some plants in full growth (still better then the mealies). I don't know if Orthene is safe on orchids.

use orthene for roses. and use it once a week for three weeks

The general consensus on here is that if it's safe for roses, it should be safe for orchids. After some experimentation on my end, I'm inclined to agree. I've never had problems using a rose product on my 'chids.


I just wish that the BBS would sell Orthene. The best I can get is Sevin or Bayer.

But as I said, once the pests are everywhere, in my experience, it's a real chore to get rid of them with a systemic.

the one i used was ortho rose pride. it says its safe for orchids, and i used it on a den that was just developing buds. no harm done!

Google Image Result for http://www.joebonsai.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/O/r/Ortho_RosePride_noshadow.jpg

Izzie, most systemics don't work well on mites, and tend to only respond to specifically formulated miticides.

Using floromite should deal with any outbreak, and being that it lasts in the plant's system for a month, should require only one application

I've used it on orchids in the past and haven't seen anything obvious that I can directly connect to the Orthene, besides maybe some blooms that wilted early

I have had some success in eliminating mealy bug using Bayer's Provado - you can apply either as a ready made spray or a s a drench on the medium. Individual bugs also find methylated spirits toxic - you dab all the ones you can see with it on a child's paint brush (methyl alcohol)(methanol)(denatured alcohol)

Here is another way to clear a plant of mealy bugs:
I have a Hoya plant that got the mealies in a bad way. (I keep the plant as it was my late mother's pride and joy.) I tried spraying the foliage with limited success. The leaves are attached to long stems that I had wound them around into a wreath shape. The sprays I tried could not get to the top and bottom of each leaf. My solution was to cut off all of the stems and leaves and burn them. I figured that if the plant was to die it could be from the mealies or my severe pruning. Well, the plant is still alive with a limited growth of new leaves. I keep the plant under surveillance and spray it now and then. I don't recommend this treatment for orchids as it could take a long time to ever get the plants back to a reasonable size (that is if they could survive the pruning).

I am not addressing the fact that mealy bugs can infest the plant root system. I found out about this fairly recently. I was wondering if the use of bark would hinder the mealy bug from infesting it versus soil as normal houseplants use?

I use the systemic Bayer Soil and Turf 1 Tbs. to the gallon drench and spray it does not have the fert. in it like the Tree and shrub , the imidacloprid is a higher amount .It is the same ingredient as Merit and way less $ If spider mites then need something else Keltane will kill them but stinks and would not want to use indoors . Safers insect soap spray every 3 days 3 times they have a very short hatch cycle . There are others out there that are very good but cost is a lot ..

The only products I can get mentioned here are the Bayer and Safer brands. What have you guys used to get rid of the mealies down in the media?

I worry because mine are in bloom right now.

Admire is from Bayer and can be used for dipping entire pots.

I hosed the bare roots with plenty of water left pretty much bare root for a week, repotted, then have kept a very close eye on the plants to rid it of any I see using alcohol.

In my experience, medium doesn't make any difference to mealie's or spider mites. If the conditions are right they invade, and conquer all plants. EVIL little bugs.

Predator insects are more of a control then out right annihilation, and they never stay where you leave them or eat everything. Unfortunately mites and mealies can build up a tolerance to a product if its over used just little penicillin is no longer the miracle cure it once was, lady bugs and other predator that you can purchase from places have no tolerance since they are grown in a lab type environment. Check out the info here Natural Insect Control, NIC specializes in Canadian Beneficial Nematodes, grub control, Beneficial Insects, good bugs to control bad bugs. Organic, environment friendly products for home, garden, orchard and farm.

Never use the same active ingredient more then 3 times in a row. If you have a serious infection use different products from different classes of active ingredients.

Do you know what the active ingredient is?

Izzie, did you track something down yet?

The active ingredient in most of the Bayer products is imicloprid. It is a systemic that works very well and is especially easy to use outdoors or in a shade or green house. They have a formulation the comes in a sprayer bottle ready to hook to a hose. Works great. It takes a little time for the plant to absorb the poison into all it's leaves so you still need to cut back heavy mealy or scale infestations or clean them up with alcohol or even orthene spray first. Then use the Bayer spray every 3 months or so to prevent the infestations. Working good for me down here in buggy south Florida.

Not a systemic that works for the mites, but after alternating with bayer systemic, immunox, and Bayer's End All (neem and fatty acid salts), it's starting to die down. The poor roses definitely look worse for wear. :(

Thanks for checking back. :)


For orchids that might have mealies- I've been wondering if soaking the pots in a neem oil solution would work? I can get a 70% solution that I could dilute in water....

I've been wondering. I have the Bayer 3 in 1 for roses. Due to it having fertilizer in it, I have to use it in a VERY low concentration to keep the ppm down around 150. Does that low of an imidacloprid concentration even do anything?