Hi, my first time of posting here, and I hope someone can help me.
I live in Spain, and have several established bouganvilleas, one of which has some nasty little bugs. The plant as a whole looks as though thick white fluffy paint has been thrown over it, but the stems are becoming black and it is looking very sick. It is quickly being taken over by this 'paint' which is in fact masses of very tiny little white insects.
Help, what is it and what should I do about it, I am trying to cut the worst of it back, but I think I should be using some chemicals to eradicate it before it spreads to the rest of the garden. Any ideas please about what I should be doing.
Regards, Landlubber

In article ,
landlubber wrote:

Hi, my first time of posting here, and I hope someone can help me.
I live in Spain, and have several established bouganvilleas, one of
which has some nasty little bugs. The plant as a whole looks as though
thick white fluffy paint has been thrown over it, but the stems are
becoming black and it is looking very sick. It is quickly being taken
over by this 'paint' which is in fact masses of very tiny little
white insects.
Help, what is it and what should I do about it, I am trying to cut the
worst of it back, but I think I should be using some chemicals to
eradicate it before it spreads to the rest of the garden. Any ideas
please about what I should be doing.
Regards, Landlubber

I am far far from being an expert. However, IF the bugs in Spain are the
same as in Michigan, the bugs might be mites or aphids. The white paint
are tiny eggs. They hatch and eat eat eat everything. Those bugs are not
just found on one type of plant or tree. Take a good look at all of the
plants or trees and see if they have those tiny white spots starting up.
Also ants just love aphids - the ants will come next.

I have had aphids on my ornamental trees and I used a product by BONIDE
called "All Seasons Spray Oil" it is a petroleum oil that is designed to
smother the eggs. It worked and my trees quickly recovered.

Some of the true experts are found in this newsgroup and are very
helpful. They may have a natural way of stopping the bugs. Also take a
small branch too the local green house for their advice. That is what I
did and found out about the little buggers.

Enjoy Life .... Dan

--
Email "dan lehr at comcast dot net". Text only or goes to trash automatically.

landlubber wrote:
Hi, my first time of posting here, and I hope someone can help me.
I live in Spain, and have several established bouganvilleas, one of
which has some nasty little bugs. The plant as a whole looks as though
thick white fluffy paint has been thrown over it, but the stems are
becoming black and it is looking very sick. It is quickly being taken
over by this 'paint' which is in fact masses of very tiny little
white insects.
Help, what is it and what should I do about it, I am trying to cut the
worst of it back, but I think I should be using some chemicals to
eradicate it before it spreads to the rest of the garden. Any ideas
please about what I should be doing.
Regards, Landlubber




Would guess woolly aphids...mealy bugs, or a type of scale, all secrete
a honeydew that will turn black with mildew. Several ways to treat for
the insects depending on your preference. Quickest would be a contact
kill insecticide followed by a systemic product. Mechanical means may be
just power washing the plant with the garden hose. There are other
insecticides ranging from insecticidal soaps to oils that seem to have
different degrees of success depending on who you talk to.


Lar

Hi Dan and Lar, thank you for your replies, having had another look (with my inexperienced eye ) I would think mite rather than aphid, so I'm off to the Garden Centre to let them have a look, and see what the locals recommend.
Again thanks to you both. Landlubber