Hi Folks,
This is my first post on the AV section.
I have grown several AVs from leaf cuttings and now they are all covered with what looks like fuzzy rice grains.
I wipe them off but they slowly return. Is it a bug or fungus?
Id appreciate any help you could give me.
Thanks!
Michael
Heres another picture.
Thanks! 8D
Hiya Michael,
Can't tell for sure but it sounds and looks like a really bad case of mealy bugs.
MsC
Hi Michael,
It looks like that to me too. At certain times of day (dusk - and maybe dawn - I'm not an early riser), you can probably see them moving around.
My usual treatment is (1) water the plant, (2) remove the ones I can see with alcohol (swab with a Q tip) or soap spray and (3) use some imidacloprid.
If the infestation is bad enough, I actually make a bath with warm water and soap (insecticidal soap is best, next is liquid soap - not detergent) - WARM water is key - and invert the plant and dunk the foliage into the bath. Rub leaves and stems gently so that they are coated (AV leaves are hairy and air bubbles can form).
Put the plant right-side-up, and then make sure the crown is dry, but putting some kitchen paper into it and letting the paper soak up excess water.
Then get something with imidacloprid (granular for sprinkling on the soil or or liquid form for watering in and/or spraying). Bayer Advanced has a number of products usually (as I hear) carried at Lowes, HD, Wally World etc. They are mostly named for roses and trees but can be used for AVs. I haven't looked at them myself, so I don't know about the concentration, but I don't think it'll be an issue. Imidacloprid is the stuff they use in flea collars for pets - it works like a charm on mealies.
I would treat any plants in the same room or "breeze way" with the stuff too. Mealie eggs are a bit mobile.
Thanks for the tips!
I have mealies on other plants and these look long and skinny rather than the typical blob of a mealy.
Ill investigate further and use your method if they indeed are mealies.
Thanks so much! ;)
Looks like mealy bug to me as well. I had a bad case on one of my avs. I used vinegar full strength and a Qtip. I watched closely and got every one off. They hid in every little cranny they can find. I separated the plant from the other plants. It took about a week before they stopped showing up. That was six months ago. They haven't returned.
I read a article that said circulation and enough space between plants are the best ways to control mealy bugs. Hope this helps.
Nanna
Thanks Nanna,
These plants are in my living room and are alone.
There isnt a plant within 30 inches of them ;)
Ill clean em up again and see what happens.
Good Luck!
Nanna
I've sprayed my AV's w/rubbing alcohol and eradicated the yucky things before.......might also want to water w/a diluted solution to get any hiding down in the soil too......
Will do! ;)
Thanks!
I Scrubbed and dunked them last night! ;)
We shall see how they fare now.
Im tempted to chuckem and start over with some of those ruffled and spectacular ones!
These are so Blasae~ :P
oh, do both! The ruffled ones are nice, but sometimes the plain ole is good too.
If you are not using any imidacloprid, then you need to check the plant every few days for any white stuff. A q tip dipped in alcohol is a nice neat way of dealing with stragglers.
Another alternative is to apply a horticultural oil or neem spray in about a week.
I've said this before and will say it again. Mealies are really easy to kill - but the key to successful treatment is vigilance.
Thank you! ;)
I just had this awful thought - did we mis-diagnose? Did you see bugs in the end? Because I was reading a description of powdery mildew and it said "white, mealy fungal growth on the leaves". I've seen powdery mildew once and it was powdery and not mealy - so now I wonder.
oh, a helpful page of diseases (not pests)
http://www.ppath.cas.psu.edu/EXTENSION/PLANT_DISEASE/afviotet.html
Great link! Thanks!
I have had two problems with my avs. 1. mealy bug and 2. crown rot. The mealy bugs form a little house over the top of them. It looks like a small piece of cotton. It sticks to the plant and must be gently rubbed to be removed. I never saw the actual bug.
Nanna
here's a tip on seeing a mealy bug. If you dab it with rubbing alcohol (on a Q tip or something), then the white stuff will dissolve, leaving a brown skeleton-like thing (it looks like a brown speck). Up close and personal, the white blob has a head and stuff..... lol... but not all of us like to look so carefully.
