Mealybug infestation!!

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stepintotheam Longview, TX Oct 17, 2008

I have a medium size, beautiful golden ivy. I just found that it is infested with mealy bugs!! I have soaked the ones that i can find in alcohol and rubbed the leaves with alcohol. I also flushed the soil and plant with water to hopefully clear it of any chemicals from the alcohol. Is there anything else that I can do?

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plantladylin (Zone 1) Oct 17, 2008

Isopropyl alcohol is what I use for mealies too. The alcohol dissipates/evaporates quickly and doesn't hurt the plant. Do you still have mealies even after the alcohol bath?

You might want to try a product I keep around called Garden Safe Insecticidal Soap. I buy it at Home Depot or Lowes. Here's what it looks like: http://www.gardensafe.com/ProductCategories/indoorinsecticide/InsecticidalSoap/ It works for lots of creepy crawlies!


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dp72 Woodway, TX(Zone 8a) Oct 17, 2008

Orthene (acephate) is your best bet for a serious infestation. Rubbing alcohol or insecticidal soaps may do the job if you just have a few. Alcohol can cause a rapid cooling of the plant and may result in cell death and make the plant susceptible to infection.

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plantladylin (Zone 1) Oct 18, 2008

I've been growing house plants for more than 40 years and I've been using isopropyl alcohol for mealies for a long, long time and I've never had a plant die. I dip a q-tip into the alcohol and wipe off the white blobs of mealy bugs. I use the insecticidal soap if there is a heavier infestation.

If you decide to try the Orthene, here is some information about it. I prefer to not use a lot of chemicals because they cause breathing difficulties for me.

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Oct 18, 2008

I use rubbing alcohol for mealies too, I think it's all about how much you use whether you're going to have problems or not. When you've got a little bit on the swab and you're just wiping a few mealies off then you won't have trouble, but if you have such a bad infestation that you're having to swab down large areas of the plant it's probably better to find something else to use.

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plantladylin (Zone 1) Oct 18, 2008

I remember sitting for hours one time removing mealies from a large schefflera tree .... very time consuming, I went through a lot of q-tips! It is much easier using a spray when you have a large infestation, so I keep the Garden Safe insecticidal soap on hand.

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stepintotheam Longview, TX Oct 18, 2008

From what I can tell they are gone because I havent seen any new ones but it has only been about 12 hours since i washed it. I think I may have done some damage to the plant with the alcohol. I had to use a lot of it to get the bugs off. There are clear looking spots on the plant now. It still looks healthy for the most part, but some of the more damaged leaves are getting those spots.

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