mealy bug treatment

[miamicuse]

I have been struggling with mealy bugs with crotons and orchids.

What I have been doing is just spot treat with some dish soap/detergent, I have also use neem oil, to spot spray the affected areas, remove the bugs.  That works sometimes and not sometimes as I can't always see the bugs especially on some plants that are 5' or taller I won't be able to look at the growing points once they get taller.

Sometimes the plant recovers sometimes they do not and continue to decline even after I removed all the visible mealy bugs.

Should I try some systemic treatment that may be more effective?

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 3/2/2024 at 5:05 PM, miamicuse said:

I have been struggling with mealy bugs with crotons and orchids.

What I have been doing is just spot treat with some dish soap/detergent, I have also use neem oil, to spot spray the affected areas, remove the bugs.  That works sometimes and not sometimes as I can't always see the bugs especially on some plants that are 5' or taller I won't be able to look at the growing points once they get taller.

Sometimes the plant recovers sometimes they do not and continue to decline even after I removed all the visible mealy bugs.

Should I try some systemic treatment that may be more effective?

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Have you tried squirting the buggy cracks n' crevices w/ Alcohol?  Did this when a hibiscus i had had them awhile back.. Worked pretty well.  ..Just don't dose the plant ( Too much Alcohol can damage tender growth )

I see some Ants in a picture. You might put out bait stations to knock them down so they can't move the Mealy bugs around / other things that eat mealies can access them w / out interference from the ants.

 

[Gallop]

Dominion 2L works great. The key is to  treat plants before you see infestation. 

[miamicuse]

  On 3/5/2024 at 7:06 AM, Gallop said:

Dominion 2L works great. The key is to  treat plants before you see infestation. 

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I actually have several bottles of the Dominion 2L liquid concentrate that I use as termicide.  I didn't know this is even useful for mealy bugs until I learned that imidacloprid is what is used as a systemic, and that Dominion 2L's active ingredient is imidacloprid.

[miamicuse]

  On 3/3/2024 at 3:47 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Have you tried squirting the buggy cracks n' crevices w/ Alcohol?  Did this when a hibiscus i had had them awhile back.. Worked pretty well.  ..Just don't dose the plant ( Too much Alcohol can damage tender growth )

I see some Ants in a picture. You might put out bait stations to knock them down so they can't move the Mealy bugs around / other things that eat mealies can access them w / out interference from the ants.

 

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We have done that as well, dish soap, Neem oil, alcohol...but sometimes it's too far gone to make a difference.  When I notice a plant is sickly looking usually the damages are done.

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 5/11/2024 at 2:28 AM, miamicuse said:

We have done that as well, dish soap, Neem oil, alcohol...but sometimes it's too far gone to make a difference.  When I notice a plant is sickly looking usually the damages are done.

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Yea, that's the kicker ..Have to catch it / treat as early as the bugs are noticed..  Even then, you have to monitor until you knock out any remaining babies that might hatch and try to re colonize.  One treatment rarely knocks them out 100%.