Thread: Mealybugs
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Old 12-12-2004, 08:18 PM
Eric G
 
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Default Mealybugs

I have a mealybug problem with my houseplants and wonder if someone
can offer some suggestions on how to get rid of the pests?

These are the white mealybugs.
I had to throw out 5 or 6 large Diefenbachia plants because they were
so infested that it was hopeless.

I have a few other plants infected with the mealybug but it isn't out
of control yet and don't want to lose the plants.

Using hydrogen peroxide with cotton swabs just isn't practical. It
takes forever just to do one plant.

I bought an insecticidal soap and have been using the spray once a
week on the plants, but the mealybugs still keep coming back.

I read about using biological control (beneficial insects) and would
like to explore this avenue if possible. Is it practical for indoor
plants? How do you go about the process?

Where do you find ladybugs in the freezing snow and cold now here in
Canada? How do you release ladybugs so they stay on the plant in
question and not fly away somewhere else?

Thanks in advance! Eric