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Mealy bug experts, please help! šŸšØ Today I went through my firstā€¦ | Pests, diseases and problems | Planta community

Laura

Mealy bug experts, please help! šŸšØ Today I went through my first attempt at removing mealy bugs from my philodendron, all was going well until I rinsed the mixture of rubbing alcohol, water and washing up liquid from the plant. Itā€™s always grown upwards, however itā€™s now slumped to the side and the main stem seems floppy and unsupported šŸ„ŗ Has anyone experienced this before? Is there anything I can do to get it supported again? Did I get something wrong in the process of removing the mealy bugs? Thank you in advance! šŸ«¶šŸ»

1 like 6 comments

6 comments

  1. Audrey

    Did you rinse the alcohol into the pot?

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    • Laura

      I avoided spraying into the soil and focused on the leaves and branches, then repotted it entirely after rinsing

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    • S.R

      Itā€™s more likely that the repot is what is making it limp. It may need a day or two to re-acclimate.

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    • Laura

      I repotted it because it seemed limp after rinsing, thinking fresh soil would do it some good šŸ˜” what happens if the alcohol touched the roots?

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  2. Andi

    Just went through a mealy bug infestation myself hereā€™s how I got rid of them! I used rubbing alcohol on a qtip got rid of all the bugs I could find. And you really wanna search thouroughly to get as many possible. This prevents reproduction which they do rapidly. Next I recommend repotting into fresh soil in disinfected pot. Make sure you have drainage as always. Next use an insecticide I like using systemic houseplant insect control granules and you just water like normal so they dissolve. This will make the pests not want to ingest the plant. Not required but I highly recommend a neem oil spray both for preventative and getting rid of them. šŸŖ“

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  3. Hort Specialist

    Rubbing alcohol and washing up liquid in high concentration can burn or dehydrate a plant especially if overspray got to the roots. I usually use an insecticide knowing it wonā€™t hurt the plant or kill off the plant protective waxes like detergents do. Neem Oil or Neem Max recommended. For the itā€™s slumped look, it probably went into a small shock/stress state because of it moving around pots, being eaten, being sprayed and probably a change of light, watering habits. Suggest sharing a photo if the problem persists

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