Mealybugs, HELP
Hi. Im having a small problem with Mealys, and not having much luck with
alcohol, or pyrethrins. I sprayed a mealy with Ortho Tomato and Vegy spray, and it contains .02% pyrethrins. Checked back and hour later, and the little sucker had wandered to a different part of the leaf. Still alive. So I tried the alcohol on the end of a Qtip, and checked back an hour later, it was still alive. Im doing this in my basement, so I dont want to use anything too toxic. Does anyone have an idea what will kill these critters? I want something I can spray, and not hurt me or the plants. I appreciate any ideas you all might have. Thanks in advance |
Mealybugs, HELP
IiSpankyii wrote:
Hi. Im having a small problem with Mealys, and not having much luck with alcohol, or pyrethrins. I sprayed a mealy with Ortho Tomato and Vegy spray, and it contains .02% pyrethrins. Checked back and hour later, and the little sucker had wandered to a different part of the leaf. Still alive. So I tried the alcohol on the end of a Qtip, and checked back an hour later, it was still alive. Im doing this in my basement, so I dont want to use anything too toxic. Does anyone have an idea what will kill these critters? I want something I can spray, and not hurt me or the plants. I appreciate any ideas you all might have. Thanks in advance You put 70% isopropyl alcohol directly on a mealybug and it lived? Superbug!! I don't think that is possible. If you tried some other kind of alcohol (ethanol), then maybe. Make sure you are using rubbing alcohol straight out of the bottle. You can spray that on the plant, which you should do after you do the Q-tip routine. I promise there are more that you can't see. They love to hide in the base of leaves, and some hide in the potting mix too. Best to spray every four or 5 days for a few weeks, just to make sure you get them all. Even if you don't see any, spray anyway. So, why so gentle, anyway? You can squish mealybugs... I wouldn't bother putting anything on a q-tip to kill one, I'd just squish it. You can probably even squish it with a q-tip, or a pencil eraser, or something, if you don't want to get bug guts on your fingers. Rob -- Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren 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 purchase more orchids, obtain more credit |
Mealybugs, HELP
This is interesting, just yesterday I found a small Dendrobium & saw a
couple of mealies in the crevice of the leaves. I literally poured neat alcohol on them & they turned black immediately. This morning I went to check & there is more white stuff over the black residue? It's time for the big guns. -- Cheers Wendy Remove PETERPAN for email reply "Rob Halgren" wrote in message ... IiSpankyii wrote: Hi. Im having a small problem with Mealys, and not having much luck with alcohol, or pyrethrins. I sprayed a mealy with Ortho Tomato and Vegy spray, and it contains .02% pyrethrins. Checked back and hour later, and the little sucker had wandered to a different part of the leaf. Still alive. So I tried the alcohol on the end of a Qtip, and checked back an hour later, it was still alive. Im doing this in my basement, so I dont want to use anything too toxic. Does anyone have an idea what will kill these critters? I want something I can spray, and not hurt me or the plants. I appreciate any ideas you all might have. Thanks in advance You put 70% isopropyl alcohol directly on a mealybug and it lived? Superbug!! I don't think that is possible. If you tried some other kind of alcohol (ethanol), then maybe. Make sure you are using rubbing alcohol straight out of the bottle. You can spray that on the plant, which you should do after you do the Q-tip routine. I promise there are more that you can't see. They love to hide in the base of leaves, and some hide in the potting mix too. Best to spray every four or 5 days for a few weeks, just to make sure you get them all. Even if you don't see any, spray anyway. So, why so gentle, anyway? You can squish mealybugs... I wouldn't bother putting anything on a q-tip to kill one, I'd just squish it. You can probably even squish it with a q-tip, or a pencil eraser, or something, if you don't want to get bug guts on your fingers. Rob -- Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren 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 purchase more orchids, obtain more credit |
Mealybugs, HELP
Yep, I put isopropyl alcohol on one, and yes, it lived. I know thats contrary
to everything I have read, but the sucker doesnt die. I actually picked one off my plant, put it on a piece of paper, and put alcohol on it, and it didnt kill it. I dont know if you have access to any mealys, but try it. I used the 70% isopropyl alcohol too. Straight from the bottle. I dont understand it. I only know mine are still alive. Any other ideas to try? |
Mealybugs, HELP
Try adding some dish soap to the alcohol. It helps get through the waxy
coating on the critters. Bob |
Mealybugs, HELP
Try adding some dish soap to the alcohol. It helps get through the waxy
coating on the critters. Bob |
Mealybugs, HELP
On 09 Jan 2004 18:18:21 GMT, (IiSpankyii)
wrote: Yep, I put isopropyl alcohol on one, and yes, it lived. I know thats contrary to everything I have read, but the sucker doesnt die. I actually picked one off my plant, put it on a piece of paper, and put alcohol on it, and it didnt kill it. I dont know if you have access to any mealys, but try it. I used the 70% isopropyl alcohol too. Straight from the bottle. I dont understand it. I only know mine are still alive. Any other ideas to try? I doubt you have mealy bugs or that your alcohol is pure. I use 50/50 alcohol and water and one spray - they turn brown and don't move again. Something else is going on there. SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php |
Mealybugs, HELP
Forget the Q-tip... unless it's sopping, you're not transferring the
alcohol, just the fumes. Put a spray nozzle in the bottle. -- Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info! .. . . . . . . . . . . "IiSpankyii" wrote in message ... Yep, I put isopropyl alcohol on one, and yes, it lived. I know thats contrary to everything I have read, but the sucker doesnt die. I actually picked one off my plant, put it on a piece of paper, and put alcohol on it, and it didnt kill it. I dont know if you have access to any mealys, but try it. I used the 70% isopropyl alcohol too. Straight from the bottle. I dont understand it. I only know mine are still alive. Any other ideas to try? |
Mealybugs, HELP
Forget the Q-tip... unless it's sopping, you're not transferring the
alcohol, just the fumes. Put a spray nozzle in the bottle. -- Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info! .. . . . . . . . . . . "IiSpankyii" wrote in message ... Yep, I put isopropyl alcohol on one, and yes, it lived. I know thats contrary to everything I have read, but the sucker doesnt die. I actually picked one off my plant, put it on a piece of paper, and put alcohol on it, and it didnt kill it. I dont know if you have access to any mealys, but try it. I used the 70% isopropyl alcohol too. Straight from the bottle. I dont understand it. I only know mine are still alive. Any other ideas to try? |
Mealybugs, HELP
They are definately mealybugs, Im gonna try adding the dish soap, and see it
that helps. The alcohol Im using is a brand new bottle from Walmart, so I doubt that it is diluted. Maybe the mealys are just tougher here in Ohio. LOL |
Mealybugs, HELP
They are most likely not mealies, or they'd have bit the bullet. You are
talking white and many. How about boisduval scale? Looks cottony, doesn't die from straight alcohol, needs scrubbing with an alcohol/soap mix. I know this because I thought I had that nasty scale, but didn't. Saw it at a local grower. She knocked it out with Orthene. GL Diana |
Mealybugs, HELP
Likely buying it Walmart is the problem - they probably paid some poor
sucker less than minimum wage to dilute the alcohol 50% then make 2 bottles from each original one. ;-) Jerry "IiSpankyii" wrote in message ... They are definately mealybugs, Im gonna try adding the dish soap, and see it that helps. The alcohol Im using is a brand new bottle from Walmart, so I doubt that it is diluted. Maybe the mealys are just tougher here in Ohio. LOL |
Mealybugs, HELP
Hi. Im having a small problem with Mealys, and not having much luck with
Knox-out works well is not too toxic. It is micro-encapsulated diazanon, water based, no solvents and will not damage buds or flowers. Depending on where you live you could take the plants outside, spray them and when dry take them back inside. If you can't do that you can always make up the solution in a large bucket and submerge the plant. We had about a hundred maudies infested with mealy and the only thing that worked was submerging the plants in the Knox-out solution. Mealy bugs are usually a problem when the humidity is too low or the plants are not watered on a frequent enough basis, same for scale. BTW: This insecticide can only usually be purchased from a nursery/greenhouse supply company not your local garden center. |
Mealybugs, HELP
On 10 Jan 2004 15:07:50 GMT, nospamX
(TRAINMAN9) wrote: Hi. Im having a small problem with Mealys, and not having much luck with Mealy bugs are usually a problem when the humidity is too low or the plants are not watered on a frequent enough basis, same for scale. OK I keep seeing the low humidity. My humidity is between 70 - 80 %. We water the vandaceous stuff often and the mounts the rest more than once a week. And I have been fighting mealybugs for over a year. We have used 2 different pressure bombs, ortheneWP (maybe not the right name, but the powder), alcohol on every last one I can get to, buds or not. I want them gone! I will sacrifice buds for bugs-B- GONE! The keep reappearing. What is the pure never fail solution -- other than ditching all the plants? SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php |
Mealybugs, HELP
Wow, Sue. I always think of your GH as being pristine and bug free, unlike
my outdoor growing where I get all kinds of critters. I used Orthene liquid one time and got rid of every last nasty, from mealies to white fly to thrips, in one swell foop (yeah, I meant to write that). Diana |
Mealybugs, HELP
Thanks Sue for coming forward about the alcohol. I did as someone suggested
and added liquid dish soap to it, and found that to be effective. Apparently the soap helps the alcohol get thru the waxy coating. I thought I was going crazy at first, as everyone else had luck with alcohol but me. I would very carefully pick the mealy off the plant, and set it in a clear plasltic cup, and spray with alcohol. An hour later, it was still alive. Now that I have added the liquid dish soap, they die. I would suspect that this will be needed for a soil drench too, as they do congregate on the roots and in the media as well. Glad we have such a good resource available to us as RGO. Ive met a lot of great people on here. Thanks for all the input gang. |
Mealybugs, HELP
Borrowing a comment from http://www.firstrays.com/mealybugs.htm:
Life cycle: Mealy bugs are on the move most of their lives, and since they live for six weeks to two months, just one can cover a lot of plant surfaces. Females mature, lay their eggs, then die. The eggs hatch in five to ten days, or wait longer until conditions are more to their liking. All this means that if just one mealy bug, or one egg sack, survives your treatment, the insects will continue to feed and breed. It sounds like you're just not getting them all, and I have a couple of suggestions on that: 1) Try treating the GH every 3 days for about 3 or 4 times with a standard insecticide. 2) Invest in some Enstar II -- actually, if you're been at this as long as you say, go straight to this. -- Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info! .. . . . . . . . . . . "Susan Erickson" wrote in message ... On 10 Jan 2004 15:07:50 GMT, nospamX (TRAINMAN9) wrote: Hi. Im having a small problem with Mealys, and not having much luck with Mealy bugs are usually a problem when the humidity is too low or the plants are not watered on a frequent enough basis, same for scale. OK I keep seeing the low humidity. My humidity is between 70 - 80 %. We water the vandaceous stuff often and the mounts the rest more than once a week. And I have been fighting mealybugs for over a year. We have used 2 different pressure bombs, ortheneWP (maybe not the right name, but the powder), alcohol on every last one I can get to, buds or not. I want them gone! I will sacrifice buds for bugs-B- GONE! The keep reappearing. What is the pure never fail solution -- other than ditching all the plants? SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php |
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