mealie bug or some thing

Subject: mealie bug or some thing Fri Jul 04, 2008 8:33 pm

noticed these tiny little critters around the bass of some of my pots, the light isn't the best to really see what colour they are but they are real small, tiny, any idea what they could be & how I might get rid of them?

sorry for lame description, but I noticed them after I watered a couple of plants an they seem to have washed out of the pot...

cheers

Joined : 24 Jun 2008 Posts : 233 Location : Bendigo

Mealys! ARRRGH I still havent got rid of myne Sad

Joined : 14 May 2008 Posts : 458 Location : Corio. Victoria

San what colour are they?
_________________
Betty

http://community.webshots.com/user/parrotsheaven

Subject: Re: mealie bug or some thing Fri Jul 04, 2008 11:07 pm

Not sure if it's mealies. Pics would help. Mealies kinda sorta look a bit like a white, felty and much smaller slater type critter. They are, I guess 'ribbed' horizontally. Little bastards!!!
_________________
コレクタ

Subject: Re: mealie bug or some thing Fri Jul 04, 2008 11:10 pm

Standard Mealy Bug

_________________
コレクタ

Subject: Re: mealie bug or some thing Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:06 am

On a black surface they appear to be whitish, are the younger one's white?

is the only answer chemicals? hope not Crying or Very sad

fungus gnats now these Neutral

Joined : 23 Jun 2008 Posts : 20 Location : Australia

Mealy bugs are hard to get rid of.

If you decide to use a chemical treatment, Confidor works well and doesn't hurt cacti.

You will need to repeat treatments every 2-3 weeks, and after a few treatments you might get the upper hand in killing those little buggers.

I can't seem to get rid of them completely from my glasshouses, just when you think you have killed them all, they reappear somewhere else.

As for fungus knats, top dressing your pots with a non-organic layer and letting the soil completely dry out for at least a few days between waterings should keep them in check. Yellow sticky fly traps positioned down low also work.

Joined : 14 May 2008 Posts : 458 Location : Corio. Victoria

San Rainbow the young ones are white as well.

Rogor or Confidor work well and especially if you water the plants with it or anything with Imidacloprid in it. It can protect for months depending on how much watering is happening. It is best when plants are growing though. Find this way of the best ways for severe infestation. But you must treat every plant in your collection for it to be a long lasting treatment.

I know of a guy in England who does not have a mealy/pest (well he says) in his hot house as he treats all his plants with either of the two. He keeps all new plants separate until he is sure they are pest free.

You can try a non chemical way of treating mealy bug and that is to - quote from another forum "I have always had good success with a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and water sprayed directly on the affected areas. Even heavy infestations have been eradicated."

The trouble with mealies is that unless you look at the roots you don't know is you have root mealies as well, so a drink with a systemic insecticide with Imidacloprid is for me the only way to treat them.

The fly traps are good for catching scarid fly or fungas gnats which ever they may be as I recently had an infestation in my seedling pots on the heat mat. I had to treat every pot with a Rogor drink and have also started using a Rogor Garden spray with Imidacloprid in it when ever I see one. On watering today I ony noticed one fly which is good Smile

_________________
Betty

http://community.webshots.com/user/parrotsheaven

Subject: Re: mealie bug or some thing Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:54 pm

cheers guys, will look into this...
one question though is the chemical absorbed by the plant, thus transferring to any thing that eats it ,ie dragon fruit or my herbs?

so if i wait till spring soak each plant (in pot) in a tub for 20 min will this do the trick?

cheers

Joined : 14 May 2008 Posts : 458 Location : Corio. Victoria

It is absorbed by the plants and that is what makes it so effective and a longer term treatment.

When mealy bugs are hit by Imidacloprid they virtually shrivell straight away. I would water from top to get those in the body and a good soak from the bottom would do the trick well.
_________________
Betty

http://community.webshots.com/user/parrotsheaven

Joined : 07 May 2008 Posts : 601 Location : Melbourne

well even though confidor has low human toxicity i would not recommend spraying your bearing dragon fruit.

Joined : 23 Jun 2008 Posts : 20 Location : Australia

Mealies can develop resistance to chemicals over time, to the point that using the same type of treatment over and over might not be affective in completely killing them.

If you have persistant infestations, it might be worth alternating your types of treatments.

As for your dragon fruit, its hard to say. The longest hold off period listed on confidor is 21 days which is for stone fruit.

Subject: Re: mealie bug or some thing Wed Jul 09, 2008 2:40 pm

sweet! thanks all, now I hope my plants can hold off till spring Question

Joined : 07 May 2008 Posts : 601 Location : Melbourne

can mealies actually become immune to imidacloprid? i have heard mixed reports of this. It is the only systemic i ever use and i have not seen mealies in over a year in my collection due to my overly-rigorous spraying regime.

Joined : 14 May 2008 Posts : 458 Location : Corio. Victoria

Lewis I have heard its possible, but mine keep coming back............. Laughing

_________________
Betty

http://community.webshots.com/user/parrotsheaven