Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 18:58:49 -0500 From: "Dave Evans" <dpevans@rci.rutgers.edu> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg597$foo@default> Subject: Re: Mealies on VFT
Hi Tierney,
> I always spray mine with Orthene and it's never hurt. For mealy bugs I
think
> it's easiest to have a systemic. The submersion method that someone
> mentioned is more environmentally friendly though! (But can you really be
> sure that they ALL died...?) Anyway, I think you have Orthene "over
there",
> right?
Well, you are right, but then again I have not had much luck completely
killing off infestations when I used poisons either. It is very hard to
kill all the bugs in a large collection. If you can poor some poison on a
couple pots and then wrap them in plastic, treating them as though they are
cuttings, is very, very effective. I use plastic since all my tropical
plants are inside the house and I don't want to expose surfaces, and hence
people, to any poison.
I don't think Mealy bugs are very hard to kill. From my experience and
others', mealies are light weights. I have gotten rid of them just by
placing some infested plants outside. I don't know what happened to them,
maybe they were eaten or maybe they left on their own.
Now scale on the other hand is very hard to get rid of and their eggs
last a long time. Also, scale is harder to notice and can really get
insidious. I would suggest that you use soap, pryrethrens, wait a couple
days and apply then Orthene -- then repeat in about eight days.
It's not like I will not use poison, but I will not use it if I don't
need to. Not quite sure why anyone would...
Dave Evans
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