Mealy Bug Problem

[Sassismom]

I have been trying to get these little pests under control by using insecticidal soap, but they seem to be taking over. I hesitate to use anything to strong, because I have birds in the room most of my orchids are in. Any suggestions???

[Andrew]

I've never found soap particularly good at controlling mealy bug. It gets the ones on the surface but largely misses those around the base and roots of the plants. Imidacloprid (confidor/merit/Bayer 3-in-1) is systemic, effective and reasonably user friendly. Dimethoate (Rogor) is also very effective but a bit more toxic to humans.

[BillC]

Hi Sassi, they can be difficult. Imidacloprid (Provado Ultimate Bug Killer concentrate) is a systemic insecticide that is absorbed into plants and kills the pest as it feeds. A ready-to-use spray containing another systemic insecticide, thiacloprid, is available as Provado Ultimate Bug Killer Ready To Use. There are also biological controls, but these would only be viable in a greenhouse or plantroom where they (ladybugs or parasitic wasps) would be free to roam. I should enquire at a local garden centre for a systemic insecticide.

Bill

[kmarch]

I always used Safer's Insecticidal Soap and they were gone wiht one or 2 applications.

[Hummer344]

I would try Safers as mentioned above. It usually works for me. I start out with the most non-toxic thing I can find then work up the chain. Only if all else fails do I go to the big, toxic, guns.

[Brooke]

Safer's will work if you squirt the mealies and alcohol applied to a mealies will also kill it. Neither of these products will continue to kill the newly hatched mealies as they emerge to lay more eggs, to hatch and lay more eggs.

The imidacloprid or Merit by name, is a systemic and topical pesticide. Since you are in Canada I don't know as to the availability of the pesticide but we can get it in a big box store in the US. Some of the Bayer rose products here will contain the pesticide, just check the labels.

Because of your birds in the same room I wouldn't spray it and would try to buy it in liquid form that can painted on the plant and drenched in the media. The plant should also have the media removed and new clean media used. The mealies will lay eggs in the media also.

Make sure you get the product in every crack and crevice, including the spikes, because this is a favorite egg laying site too. Then all you have to do is watch the plant like a hawk for the next several months because you can still find a newly hatched mealie for quite a while.

IMHO, this is one of the hardest pests to eliminate.

Brooke

[lynda]

Last year several of my philodendrons had mealies---I tried everything. Finally I took them outside and used dawn dish detergent over every leaf & stem waited a few minutes and rinsed. I continued this everyday for about a week. Naturally when i rinsed the Dawn also got into the dirt..........it seemed to work but it was very time consuming. I have also used a cuetip with alcohol--again very time consuming.

[mehitabel]

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.

[Sassismom]

Oh boy, these are the hardest things to get rid of, I've tried just about everything mentioned here except the systemic. I've bought so many bottles of insecticidal soap
it isn't funny. Guess I'll have to go looking to see if I can find that. Do you think Lowes or Home Depot would carry it?

[Annette]

try neem oil I just read an article recommending it and it said it is very safe, it is something people can ingest with no problem.

this is the site

Neem Oil Pest Control without Pesticides

[mayres]

You can get Bayer Rose and Flower Spray in a ready to use spray bottle for about $5 at Lowes or Home Depot (cheaper for some reason at Lowes here where I live) - it is a systemic and works great. You will need to do 2-3 applications to take care of new ones that hatch/emerge - but ultimately it should take care of your problem.

[lynda]

I am getting a list going for Home Depot/Lowes. If I don't actually make a list I forget helf the stuff I wanted to get. I'll try Bayer Rose & Flower spray. How safe is it for my (still living) orchids??

[mayres]

TOTALLY safe. I use it often and have never seen any negative effects.

[Sassismom]

Thanks, Mike I'll be looking for that for sure, I was hoping to be able to have an actual name to go looking for.

[Sassismom]

Oops almsot forgot, thanks for the link to the neem oil Annette, I'll be looking for that as well, hopefully I can find one of them.

[Annette]

no problem, but I couldn't find the neem oil either. :/

[Sassismom]

Any more suggestion for these uglies...I'm not able to buy either product up here.

[Sharyn]

Sassimom: Have you asked about Neem oil at a local nursery? (I mean a regular growing nursery, not Home Depot, etc.) Most of them will carry it, just the brand name differs. I'm not at home right now, so can't give you the name of the product I use. I also use the Safers7 soap. It's very gentle on most plants but you need to re-apply several times. Systemics work the best to kill the eggs.

As others have stated above, mealys are difficult and time consuming to irradicate. I've been fortunate that I've never had them on my orchids; however, some garden plants, like coleus just attract the little buggars. I must admit that I have at times thrown out some container plants with mealys that became too much time and trouble to keep. Good luck with your battle.

[mayres]

I've noted that Bayer Rose and Flower Insect Spray IS available in Canada at various places - you can even order it online and I also noted a coupon online for purchasing (at Canadian outlets).

[Sassismom]

That's very interesting...I emailed them and they told me that it was not available in Canada as yet.

[mayres]

Yes that is interesting - I would believe your email authorities before me - I was just going on information gleaned from the internet. As we all know - that can sometimes be misleading.
The active ingredient of the Bayer Rose and Flower Spray is Imidacloprid at .0120% and Beta-cyfluthrin at .0015%. Possibly there is another product in your area that has the Imidacloprid in it - I think that is the main active ingredient. It definately stops mealies in their tracks!

[Sassismom]

Well I'm going to have to become a real detective and find a product with those ingred., because these are getting way out of hand. Everyday I spray only to turn around the next and the plants are covered in little tiny ones again. It's becoming very frustrating. Wish me luck in my search, why does everything have to be so difficult to find up here. Someone else told me that denatured alcohol would do the trick too, but it isn't allowed in Canada, either.