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

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

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

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?

Try adding some dish soap to the alcohol. It helps get through the waxy
coating on the critters.

Bob

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

Try adding some dish soap to the alcohol. It helps get through the waxy
coating on the critters.

Bob

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

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?

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?

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

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

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

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.

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