Bug infested hibiscus
 

Karen Kay wrote:
My hibiscus is getting ready to flower again, but the buds are
covered with little black bugs (maybe 1/16" long). I sprayed
insectidal soap, and that cut the number of bugs by half. Any other
ideas?

Pull out the tweezers and pick them off by hand, or try to brush them
off :) Once they're off the plant, you can dunk them in some soapy
water. Keeping up the insecticidal soap spraying once a week or so may
slowly get rid of more of them.

Of course, if they don't seem to be harming the plant (except for looks)
you might just want to leave them and not worry about it.

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Bug infested hibiscus
 

I would use a systemic insecticide in the soil. It's the only good way to
keep this under control when you have the plants inside in the winter.
Hibiscus blossoms are very susceptible to these bugs and they do destroy or
severely damage the blooms.

"Karen Kay" wrote in message
0...
My hibiscus is getting ready to flower again, but the buds are
covered with little black bugs (maybe 1/16" long). I sprayed
insectidal soap, and that cut the number of bugs by half. Any other
ideas?
--
Karen

Bug infested hibiscus
 

On Mon, 09 Dec 2002 16:56:19 GMT, Karen Kay wrote:

My hibiscus is getting ready to flower again, but the buds are
covered with little black bugs (maybe 1/16" long). I sprayed
insectidal soap, and that cut the number of bugs by half. Any other
ideas?

Assuming that the hibiscus are inside... If it ever warms up enough,
take them out and hose them off a bit. I have a terrible time with
aphids in the greenhouse after about 8 weeks, but they disappear or
are greatly reduced when the plants are outside and the environment is
not quite so protected. Must be a lot of things that eat/disturb
them.

Bug infested hibiscus
 

On Mon, 09 Dec 2002 16:56:19 GMT, Karen Kay wrote:

My hibiscus is getting ready to flower again, but the buds are
covered with little black bugs (maybe 1/16" long). I sprayed
insectidal soap, and that cut the number of bugs by half. Any other
ideas?

Ladybugs! A nice little chart on beneficials
http://www.cortesia.org/publications...ts/insects.pdf

Bug infested hibiscus
 

On Wed, 11 Dec 2002 16:57:42 GMT, Karen Kay wrote:



It's a good idea, but isn't this the wrong time of year for ladybugs?

Right now and through winter is the time when green lacewings are laying eggs
and their larvae are voraciously eating insects through the winter, into late
spring. They should be there, naturally. I have them on everything in the
garden. I have never used a pesticide in my yard and now in our third year
here, the beneficial populations have built up to an enormous level.

Bug infested hibiscus
 

On Wed, 11 Dec 2002 16:57:42 GMT, Karen Kay wrote:

(Terry Horton) wrote in
:
On Mon, 09 Dec 2002 16:56:19 GMT, Karen Kay
wrote:

My hibiscus is getting ready to flower again, but the buds are
covered with little black bugs (maybe 1/16" long). I sprayed
insectidal soap, and that cut the number of bugs by half. Any
other ideas?

Ladybugs! A nice little chart on beneficials
http://www.cortesia.org/publications...ts/insects.pdf

It's a good idea, but isn't this the wrong time of year for ladybugs?

So long as there's prey they should do fine, though they may go
dormant for a couple of weeks if it gets really cold. But then so will
the aphids, and the hibiscus.