Cycas flush and Mealybugs

[Tracy]

I was out looking at the flush on one of my Cycas thouarsii x cupida, and noticed that the new flush leaflet tips had a significant number of mealybugs on them.  I immediately started thinking about the Cycas scale that has been a problem in so many areas, but fortunately not here in Southern California yet that I am aware.  I went out with the hose and blasted the new leaflets hoping to get rid of most of them, which it did.  Unfortunately some were tenacious and I could see them in a followup about 10 minutes later.  I wasn't real excited to blast it when the foliage is so soft, but felt there were few other options.  It seems that the mealybugs which don't do so well on hardened off Cycas leaves, were having a feast on the still very soft leaflets.

Two shots before blasting and one after the blasting (you can see the leaflets are a bit wilted after the hard spray).  Anyone else have an issue with this and Cycas?  I haven't seen this on my straight Cycas thouarsii nor have I had problems before with either of the Cycas thouarsii x cupida with mealybugs.

[GeneAZ]

It's a common problem for me because the indigenous prickly pear (Opuntia)  have cochineal scale, as it's called -- which is a mealy insect -- so it will spontaneously appear in my greenhouse on new cycad growth. 

After 35 years of trying various remedies, I landed on Talstar ten years ago to easily control this pest.  You must use a surfactant like 20 drops of Dawn dish soap per quart off mixture.  I blast off the mealy first, then apply the Talstar.  As  long as it is not washed off the plant, it seems to stay  effective against this pest long term.  Additionally, it is safe to use on new tender growth and won't affect the expanding foliage at all; it simply targets the mealy and its eggs/juveniles.  It works equally well as a drench for root mealy.  It also works quite well on  scale insects, even when they have colonized the crevices of a caudex.

Neem oil also works, but you have to apply weekly, usually.

Yours looks to me to be the hibiscus scale, which is very persistent indeed.

[GDLWyverex]

On 4/10/2018, 9:17:31, GeneAZ said:

It's a common problem for me because the indigenous prickly pear (Opuntia)  have cochineal scale, as it's called -- which is a mealy insect -- so it will spontaneously appear in my greenhouse on new cycad growth. 

After 35 years of trying various remedies, I landed on Talstar ten years ago to easily control this pest.  You must use a surfactant like 20 drops of Dawn dish soap per quart off mixture.  I blast off the mealy first, then apply the Talstar.  As  long as it is not washed off the plant, it seems to stay  effective against this pest long term.  Additionally, it is safe to use on new tender growth and won't affect the expanding foliage at all; it simply targets the mealy and its eggs/juveniles.  It works equally well as a drench for root mealy.  It also works quite well on  scale insects, even when they have colonized the crevices of a caudex.

Neem oil also works, but you have to apply weekly, usually.

Yours looks to me to be the hibiscus scale, which is very persistent indeed.

I have had good results using the same procedure and Diazanon

 

 

Richrad