Hi there Pat, I was just going to ask if there were any new better
weapons.
I have been fighting a losing battle here in my two greenhouses, trying
everything & for the last two years, Enstar & Mavrik the
choice. Lots of $$$$ & for a while I thought I had them beat both mealies &
soft scale. (Includes newly repotted plants)

Instead of just spraying, I started a special routine, a
section in the g/h at a time. Just finished yesterday.
A sort of production line.

1. Sprayed visible bugs with alcohol. Scrubbed ridges in pseudos with tooth
brush.

2. Dipped the entire plant & pot in the Enstar/Mavrik solution. (Growth
inhibitor/Contact killer)

3. Sprayed with a Neem Oil solution afterwards.

It took me 9 days to do the entire g/h & then I have to
start spraying again to complete the Enstar/Mavrik regimen.
I have tried everything in the past, tag plants with date etc, isolate &
clean down to bear bones & still the bugs returen!!!

My point is, you jarred my train of thought here..........what do growers of
thousands use. I think they throw them away &
write off the loss.

I will not be using the &&&&& stuff & wondering Imicloprid is?

Got potting to do.
Cheers Wendy



"Pat Brennan" wrote in message
oups.com...

Hi all,

Spring show season is about half over and I have to say that this year
I have received more questions about mealies than any other year. Way
more, it is as if the east coast is in the mist of a mealie
infestation. I am not sure where they are all coming from, but at one
show the vendor next to me was including mealies with his plants.
Check plants before buying! It has been sort of weird, a lot of the
people with mealies are convinced that the way to rid the problem is
with alcohol even after multiple failed efforts. I am not sure where
all the alcohol hype is coming from, but I bet it is not coming from a
grower with more than 5 plants.

With all the mealie questions I though maybe chemicals had been
removed from the market, so I checked a garden center. Many of the
old cures were still on the shelves (Orthene, Malathion and Sevin) as
well as the newer weapon Imicloprid. The tools are still there, I
just don't get it.

Pat

Mealies aren't just on orchids. I have my plant trays sitting on
plywood boards to protect the furniture underneath. I've seen mealies
clustering in cracks in the boards. My guess is that to really get
rid of them you' might need to look beyond the orchids and their
pots. I don't mean to imply that I successfully eliminated them. I'm
not sure I've even made a dent in them. They do however head in
greater numbers for the plants that are not as healthy.

Janet




It took me 9 days to do the entire g/h & then I have to
start spraying again to complete the Enstar/Mavrik regimen.
I have tried everything in the past, tag plants with date etc, isolate &
clean down to bear bones & still the bugs returen!!!

Yeah, I recall a post 10+ years ago where someone had a Boston fern hanging
in a bay window that used to get mealies like crazy. By happenstance the
owner treated the plant for mealies and simultaneously redecorated, painted
the room, walls trim etc. No more mealies... the idea at the time was that
eggs etc were in the crevices around the bay window.

Arencha glad I mentioned that story? Welcome to yet another version of
hell....

K Barrett

"janet" wrote in message
oups.com...
Mealies aren't just on orchids. I have my plant trays sitting on
plywood boards to protect the furniture underneath. I've seen mealies
clustering in cracks in the boards. My guess is that to really get
rid of them you' might need to look beyond the orchids and their
pots. I don't mean to imply that I successfully eliminated them. I'm
not sure I've even made a dent in them. They do however head in
greater numbers for the plants that are not as healthy.

Janet




It took me 9 days to do the entire g/h & then I have to
start spraying again to complete the Enstar/Mavrik regimen.
I have tried everything in the past, tag plants with date etc, isolate &
clean down to bear bones & still the bugs returen!!!

Oh yes Janet, I forgot to mention while doing a section at a time, I
pressure washed & then sprayed the walls & benches etc.
You are correct, I have spotted them on other plants.
Cheers Wendy
"janet" wrote in message
oups.com...
Mealies aren't just on orchids. I have my plant trays sitting on
plywood boards to protect the furniture underneath. I've seen mealies
clustering in cracks in the boards. My guess is that to really get
rid of them you' might need to look beyond the orchids and their
pots. I don't mean to imply that I successfully eliminated them. I'm
not sure I've even made a dent in them. They do however head in
greater numbers for the plants that are not as healthy.

Janet




It took me 9 days to do the entire g/h & then I have to
start spraying again to complete the Enstar/Mavrik regimen.
I have tried everything in the past, tag plants with date etc, isolate &
clean down to bear bones & still the bugs returen!!!

Wendy7 wrote:
Oh yes Janet, I forgot to mention while doing a section at a time, I
pressure washed & then sprayed the walls & benches etc.
You are correct, I have spotted them on other plants.
Cheers Wendy

I found mealies in huge amounts growing on grass (big bluestem, I think)
under my benches. Yes, I have grass growing under some of my benches
along with the oxalis and jewel-weed, you got a problem with that? *grin*

Hopefully I can get the plants outside this summer and excercise my
herbicidal tendencies.


--
Rob's Rules: http://littlefrogfarm.com
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a) See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to obtain more
orchids, obtain more credit

"Wendy7" wrote in message
...

It took me 9 days to do the entire g/h & then I have to
start spraying again to complete the Enstar/Mavrik regimen.
I have tried everything in the past, tag plants with date etc, isolate &
clean down to bear bones & still the bugs returen!!!


Has anyone ever tried "fumigation?" I remember an old couple back home who
would close their greenhouse to fumigate for all kinds of pests. I have no
idea what they used. Would that not work for mealies?

Apropos of nothing (much less Rob's point) The article I referenced in
regard to 120F water and mealies becomes more interesting the more we talk
about this. One of my patients is a Rose judge and she's heard of the use
of hot water for pest control.... who knows....????
http://www.green-seeds.com/land_flor4.html

K Barrett
"Rob" wrote in message
...
Wendy7 wrote:
Oh yes Janet, I forgot to mention while doing a section at a time, I
pressure washed & then sprayed the walls & benches etc.
You are correct, I have spotted them on other plants.
Cheers Wendy

I found mealies in huge amounts growing on grass (big bluestem, I think)
under my benches. Yes, I have grass growing under some of my benches
along with the oxalis and jewel-weed, you got a problem with that? *grin*

Hopefully I can get the plants outside this summer and excercise my
herbicidal tendencies.


--
Rob's Rules: http://littlefrogfarm.com
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a) See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to obtain more
orchids, obtain more credit

On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 15:50:38 -0500 in Manelli Family wrote:

"Wendy7" wrote in message
...

It took me 9 days to do the entire g/h & then I have to
start spraying again to complete the Enstar/Mavrik regimen.
I have tried everything in the past, tag plants with date etc, isolate &
clean down to bear bones & still the bugs returen!!!


Has anyone ever tried "fumigation?" I remember an old couple back home who
would close their greenhouse to fumigate for all kinds of pests. I have no
idea what they used. Would that not work for mealies?

Nicotine smoke bombs perhaps?



--
Chris Dukes
elfick willg: you can't use dell to beat people, it wouldn't stand up
to the strain... much like attacking a tank with a wiffle bat

wrote in message
g...
On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 15:50:38 -0500 in Manelli
Family wrote:

"Wendy7" wrote in message
...

It took me 9 days to do the entire g/h & then I have to
start spraying again to complete the Enstar/Mavrik regimen.
I have tried everything in the past, tag plants with date etc, isolate &
clean down to bear bones & still the bugs returen!!!


Has anyone ever tried "fumigation?" I remember an old couple back home
who
would close their greenhouse to fumigate for all kinds of pests. I have
no
idea what they used. Would that not work for mealies?

Nicotine smoke bombs perhaps?


I really don't know. I do remember them having a hell of a time with white
fly. They would keep the greenhouse closed for 24 hours, then air it for 24
hours, then open for business.

Thanks Chris, Cheers Wendy
wrote in message
g...
On Thu, 15 Mar 2007 22:17:41 -0400 in
Dayton wrote:
Does anyone have experience, hopefully positive, using systemics on
orchids? I am at my wit's end spraying Neem and insecticidal soaps for
scale. Now mealies are beginning to show up as well. Getting very close
to making a large trip to the compost heap (if the snow ever melts) and
going back to ferns and begonias.
Most of the problem children are phals potted in either soil-less mixes
or moss. I suspect no systemic would work in a bark mix.
I have a fairly old (20+ years) can of DiSyston granules(Disulfoton
Diethyl ethyl phosphordithicate) that I've used on other soil based
plants with some success. Cannot find any indication of use for orchids
and there isn't much on the web. From what I've found, it may even be
banned in some places. Not sure what else may be available, but I'm
hoping something works.
Appreciate any input anyone has.

Using imodoclopid (misspelled big time, active ingredient in Bayer Tree
and
Shrub) killed off scale, but made things tastier for mites.

Dunk and soak for the things in bark.
Added to the fertilizer mix for the things in semi-hydro.
Look through the archived articles for mixing ratio.


--
Chris Dukes
elfick willg: you can't use dell to beat people, it wouldn't stand up
to the strain... much like attacking a tank with a wiffle bat