From: michael kolaczewski <mjkolaffhbc at sbcglobal.net> on 2009.10.01 at 04:02:02(20115)
Greetings David,
I will cast my vote with Mr. Wilbert.
Mealy bugs can be found on leaves, branches, roots, and tubers.
I had just this weekend began to bring in several Amorpophallus,
along with other Aroids and other tropicals.
Several of my plants have Mealybugs, ( on the roots and tubers) as well.
You can have several over lapping generations once they establish themselves.
females can lay hundreds of eggs, after a month or so you are up to your ears
in Mealybugs.
Treatment can be simple and low toxic. You can use insecticidal
soap, or any botanical insecticide. You could also use a horticultural
oil. All these products are applied as a spray. An "old" remedy used around here
by old timers, is to use a little bit more than a teaspoon each of dish soap and ammonia,
in a quart sprayer. which ever method you employ, be sure to thoroughly cover them.
I do try to clean off as many as possible, to lower the population, and effect better
coverage with the above mentioned products.
You can dab them with rubbing alcohol, on a Q-tip, or cotton ball.
They are a bit more harder to control when the plants are in pots, with the roots
contained within the growing media or soil mix. In some cases, drenching the media with
a bit more stronger product, might be needed, since you will have insects of varying stages,
within the media and the root system.
Hope this will be of use to you.
Michael Kolaczewski
| 
IAS on Facebook
IAS on Instagram
