Can someone suggest something that really works to wipe out an mealy bug
infestation? Malathion, Ortho Systemic, Triazicide, Ortho Bug-B-Gone all
slow the infestation but not do away with it. The plants are tropical plants
including orchids in a large sun room. Any suggestions? We're going broke
buying insecticides.

"Mindful" wrote in message
...
Can someone suggest something that really works to wipe out an mealy bug
infestation? Malathion, Ortho Systemic, Triazicide, Ortho Bug-B-Gone all
slow the infestation but not do away with it. The plants are tropical
plants
including orchids in a large sun room. Any suggestions? We're going broke
buying insecticides.

After the initial application, you have to hit them again in a few days to a
week to kill the newborns.

Have you tried rubbing alcohol? It's cheap and non-toxic.

"Mindful" wrote in message
...
Can someone suggest something that really works to wipe out an mealy bug
infestation? Malathion, Ortho Systemic, Triazicide, Ortho Bug-B-Gone all
slow the infestation but not do away with it. The plants are tropical
plants including orchids in a large sun room. Any suggestions? We're going
broke buying insecticides.

This may be information useful to you.

http://www.greenmethods.com/incl_pag...yptolaemus.php

Val

"TQ" ToweringQs AT adelphia.net wrote in message
...

"Mindful" wrote in message
...
Can someone suggest something that really works to wipe out an mealy bug
infestation? Malathion, Ortho Systemic, Triazicide, Ortho Bug-B-Gone all
slow the infestation but not do away with it. The plants are tropical
plants
including orchids in a large sun room. Any suggestions? We're going broke
buying insecticides.

After the initial application, you have to hit them again in a few days to
a
week to kill the newborns.

Have you tried rubbing alcohol? It's cheap and non-toxic.

We sprayed them every few days for months on end. There are too many plants
to do with alcohol on a swab. Or do you mean spray them with alcohol?

"Val" wrote in message
...

"Mindful" wrote in message
...
Can someone suggest something that really works to wipe out an mealy bug
infestation? Malathion, Ortho Systemic, Triazicide, Ortho Bug-B-Gone all
slow the infestation but not do away with it. The plants are tropical
plants including orchids in a large sun room. Any suggestions? We're
going broke buying insecticides.

This may be information useful to you.

http://www.greenmethods.com/incl_pag...yptolaemus.php

Val

Thank you but I don't think my family would appreciate if I brought more
bugs into the house. This also appears to be a control for outdoor mealy bug
infestations.

g'day mindful,

over here the ants generally bring the mealies in, so first in that
case the ants need to be moved on before treatment of the bugs will be
effective.

you could make your own white oil spray and use that (recipe on our
page) apply after the heat of the day 2 or more applications may be
needed.

if the bugs get onto the roots of the plant then you may have to
destroy the plant.

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:53:11 -0600, "Mindful" wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.gardenlen.com

"gardenlen" wrote in message
...
g'day mindful,

over here the ants generally bring the mealies in, so first in that
case the ants need to be moved on before treatment of the bugs will be
effective.

you could make your own white oil spray and use that (recipe on our
page) apply after the heat of the day 2 or more applications may be
needed.

if the bugs get onto the roots of the plant then you may have to
destroy the plant.

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:53:11 -0600, "Mindful" wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.gardenlen.com

Thank you. Will check it out. I'm getting desperate since we have a lot of
plants in the sun room. I don't want to lose them all.

"Mindful" wrote in message
...

"TQ" ToweringQs AT adelphia.net wrote in message
...

"Mindful" wrote in message
...
Can someone suggest something that really works to wipe out an mealy bug
infestation? Malathion, Ortho Systemic, Triazicide, Ortho Bug-B-Gone
all
slow the infestation but not do away with it. The plants are tropical
plants
including orchids in a large sun room. Any suggestions? We're going
broke
buying insecticides.

After the initial application, you have to hit them again in a few days
to a
week to kill the newborns.

Have you tried rubbing alcohol? It's cheap and non-toxic.

We sprayed them every few days for months on end. There are too many
plants to do with alcohol on a swab. Or do you mean spray them with
alcohol?


I had a couple of plants with them. I used the cotton swab with metho, but
I also used a bit of metho in the homemade white oil. And don't forget to
spray it onto the soil as well. And repeat once a week for 4 weeks.

Another thing that you might be able to try, is to rub off as many as you
can with your fingers. It will just help to lower the numbers a bit. Do
this before each and every treatment. If you've got kids, I'm sure they'd
love to help.

Another, is to use a strong blast of water (shower or hose) to blast them
off first.

Hope that helps

Jen

"Jen" wrote in message
...

"Mindful" wrote in message
...

"TQ" ToweringQs AT adelphia.net wrote in message
...

"Mindful" wrote in message
...
Can someone suggest something that really works to wipe out an mealy
bug
infestation? Malathion, Ortho Systemic, Triazicide, Ortho Bug-B-Gone
all
slow the infestation but not do away with it. The plants are tropical
plants
including orchids in a large sun room. Any suggestions? We're going
broke
buying insecticides.

After the initial application, you have to hit them again in a few days
to a
week to kill the newborns.

Have you tried rubbing alcohol? It's cheap and non-toxic.

We sprayed them every few days for months on end. There are too many
plants to do with alcohol on a swab. Or do you mean spray them with
alcohol?


I had a couple of plants with them. I used the cotton swab with metho,
but I also used a bit of metho in the homemade white oil. And don't
forget to spray it onto the soil as well. And repeat once a week for 4
weeks.

Another thing that you might be able to try, is to rub off as many as you
can with your fingers. It will just help to lower the numbers a bit. Do
this before each and every treatment. If you've got kids, I'm sure they'd
love to help.

Another, is to use a strong blast of water (shower or hose) to blast them
off first.

Hope that helps

Thanks Jen. These are a large collection in a sun room that is part of the
house. There's no way to shut it off from the living quarters so must be
careful what is sprayed. Taking this many plants outside in the chill one by
one to hose them off would be more than a chore, it would be a real burden
with my arthritis. What a job that would be. Today I saw the geraniums have
budworm but I couldn't locate any by eye. I saw the droppings and chewed
leaves. Another plant has spider mites. It's getting overwhelming. I took
the plants with mites and budworms outside and sprayed them with a strong
spray of 3 different insecticides. The smell was horrendous and it was cold
but above freezing. I brought them in before the temperature plummeted.
What I really need is something effective I can spray them with indoors.

Spraying water in the sunroom isn't an option. Also oil sprays can damage
the wainscoting and wallpaper so they are not an option in the winter. All
these plants were hosed off and sprayed before I brought them in last
October.


Jen