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Hi all, I just found mealy bugs… again😡💢😡I hate these little… | Pests, diseases and problems | Planta community

Borg Family Plants

Hi all, I just found mealy bugs… again😡💢😡I hate these little monsters more than anything.. I have over 400 plants and it seems I get one set of plants cleaned up and mealy bug free, and then they pop up in a separate set of plants (they were separated, in different rooms). I am thinking of purchasing beneficials, I am looking for advice…what type, where to buy from, anyone that has used them in the past and can give me tips??? It just feels weird bringing in insects… Thank you for any help/advice!

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3 comments

  1. Phil

    I have mostly succulents, and mealys seem to be attracted to them. I apply Bonide Systemic a couple times a year. I also spray my plants at every watering. I use a pest product called Systemica. It’s organic and has not damaged any of my plants. Company claims it kills mealys, repels them, and is absorbed by the plant, which makes it last past the spraying. If I follow this routine I have few mealys. In the past, I had a planned treatment when I found mealys. I did the alcohol swab thing, then sprayed every 5 days for about 5 weeks. This method covered their growth cycles. I don’t have as many plants as you, but still a large amount-maybe about 140 succulents. I don’t use Bonide Systemic all the time because it’s trouble to apply and is expensive for a large collection of plants. I hope this helps. With this maintenance, I rarely find a mealy.

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    • Borg Family Plants

      Thank you Phil, this helps a great deal as the fuzzy little demons have invaded my succulents. I will definitely look into the Bonide Systemic and the Systemica! I love the fact that it is organic. Thanks again, I appreciate your insight!

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  2. Waspinator

    Identify all plants that have mealies and quarantine them (and keep checking the others in case you missed any). Spot treat all visible mealies with a q-tip soaked in isopropyl alcohol (you might want to put your used q-tips in a sealed bag in the trash; adult mealies can sometimes survive and travel.) Replace the soil to remove any eggs (you can swab the pots with alcohol if you want.) Most pesticides are only effective on young nymphs, so they need to be reapplied every 5 days to catch new ones as they hatch. Continue inspecting the plants daily and spot treat any bugs you see. The whole lifespan of mealybugs is about 31 days, so if you can go two months without seeing any, you're done with treatment.

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