Pest Control
Question: I received these plants from another vendor and they have these critters on them that look like white puff balls, what are they and what should I do?
Answer: Oh no!
That sure sounds like Mealy bugs to me, but don't panic!
These are some of the worst pests possible and are very difficult to get rid of. They can infect the roots as well as the leaves. Once you notice the buggers put the plants in quarantine. If you get mealies in your greenhouse or in with plants closely spaced it will be nearly impossible to get rid of them. The first line of defense is to smash any bugs you see! The only really good treatment I've found for mealies is "Horticultural & Dormant Spray Oil". This is the only spray I use as I much prefer organic techniques. It's a highly refined, food grade parraffin oil. It's the only non toxic thing that will kill mealies in a single treatment. You will have to repeat treatments every couple of weeks to make sure no more are coming from the soil. If the infestation is bad, it may be worthwhile to spray all the soil off of the plants to make sure they
aren't attached to the roots. You can get the spray from BioControl Network.
If your infestation is bad enough and you need to rinse the soil from your plants, gentally wash the soil with a garden hose. Check the roots for pest and make sure you rinse them off as well. Re-pot the plant in fresh potting soil. Then attach a small piece of cardboard around the stem, if Mealies are still present they will migrate underneath the cardboard. Check under the cardboard every few days until no more are found.
Previous question: What do I do when my plants...
Next question:
|
