Rubbing alcohol
 

The culprit: Scale
The control: Rubbing Alcohol
The dilemma: I have used rubbing alcohol on a swab to spot treat some scale - it works with some success. What about spraying all of the leaves on the plant with rubbing alcohol? Has anyone done this before, is it recommended? If it is supposed to be OK - what's the secret!

I have applied it this way a couple of times and on different genera (Tolumnia and Phalaenopsis) with poor results.

I have tried it...there is no risk to the plant providing it is not sprayed on the flowers. :) I have even used the 70% alcohol before with no problems encountered....just as long as it drys quickly and doesn't sit wet for a long time. Someone at the society even suggested spraying them with the alcohol first to "weaken" them, then once it has dried to spray End-All (contains canola oil) to kill them completely.

My biggest problem seems to be with mealy bug right now. Grrrrr!

I guess 99% isoproply alcohol could be a bit strong - that appears to be the problem. Amazing things can be learned when you read the label! :lol:

99%??!!! :shock: Ouch!

For mealy bugs I use an insect soap. I acquired a rather nice Monstera deliciosa specimen and it must have brought in the mealy's....ugh. Anyway, one of my Onc's got a few just via proximity. I took it to the sink and sprayed some of the soap onto a cotton swab and just rubbed off the noticable ones. I did this once a week for a month or so and so far they have not returned!

-J

Natural Pesticide
 

Natural Pesticide

1 cup 409
1 cup Rubbing Alcohol
3 cups water

Mix together, put in a spray bottle and spray both sides of the leaves.
Quaranteen the one with bugs yet spay the others as a preventive maintenence.

Lee R.[/b]

Formula 409 is hardly "natural," but that concoction works!

Basically, alcohol is a "contact killer" so is great for soft-bodied bugs with little mechanical protection. For "Hard" bugs like most scales having that protective shell, you need to smother them in an oil (cooking oil is fine), and add a wetting agent (liquid soap) to ensure coverage.

I used to keep a spray bottle of alcohol and another of soap and oil in water in the GH, but decided to go for a single, one-two punch. The 409 formula and my Rise & Shine (which does use a natural surfactant) accomplish both.

That's great thanks for the info.

What is Rise & Shine? Is it a USA product!

I just did round 2 of 3 with Neen Oil and I see lots of dead looking scale.

BTW my plants seem to have just taken off in their growth, maybe they know somebody loves them. :lol:

Dave,

Rise & Shine is a product I concocted for use in my greenhouse as a leaf cleaner. It is basically an all-natural, vegetable-based soap solution to which alcohol has been added as a defoamer. because of the soap and alcohol, it is also a great insecticide, but I cannot sell it as such due to EPA registration requirements.

My wife (physical therapist doing home care for the local hospital) carries a bottle in the car as a hand cleaner/disinfectant, and also uses it to clean and shine up walkers, canes, wheelchairs, etc., before distributing them to patients.

I use a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and 409...no water.
Keep it in a sprayer. It immediately gets the job done.

I think it's also important to actually remove any pests that you've sprayed. Wiping the leaves works fine and I use a curved dental instrument to pull anything out of the base of the leaves.