mealy problem

[Miz Willy]

hi,i just find this white little thing moveing on my phals "Tiger" when i check it out its mealy bug,i read i should use alchol or soapy water on it,can i put the whole plant in soapy water or alcohol water and just repot it.any advice im kind of lost here.i plan to repot it 2marrow but i dont know how to go about this mealy mr.evil .thank u guyz

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Oh man! If you were confused, it would've been better to ask first before you went ahead and dipped the entire plant in alcohol!

When people advise using rubbing alcohol for mealy problems, it's usually used locally where the insects are and done with a cotton swab or a cotton ball, not spraying or dipping the entire plant in alcohol.

I recommend watching your plant for signs of root damage after doing that.

Something to look for now are shriveling roots.

Only the leaves can withstand the harsh effects of the isopropyl alcohol, not the roots.

[Miz Willy]

ok i didnt do the crime yet lol,i was just asking how do i control these pest from getting worst cause they are some nasty picture i have seen of them on the internet,my baby is on the line here.lol

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I apologize, I misread.

Alright...

Well, you got part of your answer.

Isopropyl alcohol applied locally where the insects are. Avoid applying on the roots.

The soap can be sprayed on the plant, but I'd still try to avoid the roots.

They're easy to kill. Not so easy to control. Just repeat the process every time you see more mealies.

When you use alcohol on mealies, they turn reddish-purplish-brown.

[Miz Willy]

thatz ok lol,got her 2 weekz now & she is still flowering but in just do the swab & repot her 2marrow.thankz a lot

[swords]

Mealies are the worst! If you go after them too much above ground they just hide themselves in the soil and ruin the roots.

If you only have one infected plant I suggest biting the bullet and throwing it out before they infest the rest of your collection. I had mealies destroy my entire Asclepiad collection this last year. Had I tossed the one plant at first notice of the evil things I might have saved all my other plants instead of trying to save the one and winding up infecting all my others.


Does anyone know if lady bugs eat mealies? They're used as bio-control for aphids and such right so will they do mealies? If yes, I'd rather just order a box of LBs in spring and release a few in my terrariums as a clean up crew and set the rest free outside.