| I agree that if you have a recurring or widespread problem, you need a systemic. I had an infestation on a doritis that kept recurring for over 6 months while I futzed around with alcohol and soap sprays. Two treatments with a systemic and they are *gone*.
Pure ivory liquid on a q-tip and touched directly on the mealie works for the ones on flowers-- sprays will damage flowers.
But the little buggers get into every hidden place-- inside the flowers, behind the flowers, between the petals, in the undeveloped nodes on a flower stem, in the leaf attachment. And as Brooke points out, even in the medium. And while you're killing off one or two somewhere else with a q-tip they're reproducing another thousand, and then there they are again.
I usually spray and drench the plant outside, leave it outside *in the shade* until it has dried off, then bring it in. Don't know if that's enough drying for a canary, but overnight should be. Summer is definitely a good time to really deal with them, as your chids can stay out overnight if need be. Put an extra squirt into the leaf attachments-- that's a really good hiding place for nasties.  |