Well, Linda, I need to learn from you - I'm having continuous outbreaks of mealies on particular Crassulaceae plants, to the extent where one actually can witness them on the pots (and I guess moving from one plant to another - who knows). I need to break out the harsh stuff, I think, because spot treatments of alcohol aren't working.

Hi cactus,
I tried every thing anyone on here suggested..
and in a week or so the mealies were back...
and sometimes I had to throw out the plant..
but this new insecticidal soap (its propably not new but I just found it) works for me....
I read on here (GW) that the mealies are under the pot rims and on plant stands too, so I washed of everything plant, pot and stand and sprayed with Bonide-Insecticidal soap, plant, pot, and plant stand...
so far so good....linda

I used something similar from Natria. It works better than the neem-based products I tried (NOT blaming neem here. In theory it should work better. I think the brands I was using were just terrible) in terms of killing mealies but the downside is that it's very prone to causing burn. So it's probably okay for C&S but nothing else.

luckily i have not had this problem. i did have one plant one time that was infested and alcohol worked for me. but i sprayed it every few days for a month+, and kept it in quarantine.
my questions for you is what kind of plants are you spraying with this soap? is it safe for all succulents?

i had heard that what ever treatment you use had to be done for at least 1 month because of the eggs taking this long to hatch. i only have one experience with this and it did seem to work using alcohol.

thank you for sharing your first hand experience with this particular product, i always appreciate first hand knowledge.

congratulations on your success, and many bug free years ahead.

Doug

Well, I know the thing I have to do is treat all of my Crassulaceae plants at once, completely hitting all topical surfaces.

Maybe a mix of alcohol, a drop or two of dish soap, and some Tabasco will do it....I'll have to test that.

It's forecast to be yucky for the next week, so that will work in my favour. With no sun I'll be able to not worry about the sun burning alcohol-treated plants while the potion sits on the plants and does its work. I'm fully intending to also spritz them heavily after an hour or so.

OTOH, perhaps I should just go to The Dodo and get something like Safer's.

>I have been using this brand and I have not found any mealies in over 2 months...

Linda, good luck. That isn't nearly long enough...the nasty buggers can still show up months later.

I tried most of the "gentle" methods, and none of them worked for me in the long run. The one thing that did work for me was imidacloprid, a systemic insecticide. It's nasty stuff, but I just used it in the 6 or 7 plants that had mealies, and now I've been mealy-free for about 8 months (fingers crossed).

-R

-R,

Did you use it as a soil drench? The thing I worry about is not only when the plants are inside (and subject, sometimes, to the chewing of the cats) but outside when the hummers visit them.

I used the "houseplant" version, which comes in granules.

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The employees at my local garden center claimed that imidacloprid was only available in liquid form for outside plants, so I had to insist!

I left my plants outside on the patio. Hopefully anything that might have potentially been poisoned was distracted by the other 150+ plants.

-R

Thank God I didn't have to deal with any, but if I do, I will take away some good info from here.

Thank you and thanks to those who wondered how I was.

Mike

Do LadyBugs eat Mealy? If not, are there any insects that will? Toni

I have some on a few of my Oncidiums orchids. I'm using Bonide Mealy bug and white fly spray. Once a week.

You read my mind yes Ladybugs do eat mealies, I forgot to tell the group. Always put them out at night time, and if you have only a few, isolate them say in the house or room and realease the Lady's at night, store them in the refrig. until you are ready to use them. They will die if they don't have anything to eat so leave and escape open for them to leave and find food. You local nursery may have other natural controls, I never kill a spider in my greenhouse they eat mealies. Pesticides are the last resort. I saw my first Humming bird today, so it must be
Spring where I live. My Gasteria are coming into flower and the orange tree as well, I also bring the infected plants into the house and spray them with real soap nothing added. Or I use a 20% alcohol spray, that does it instantly, or only a few I use a Qtip and dip it in anything like mouth wash and just put it on the few mealies that I have. Whisky will work if you have nothing else and don't want to leave the house. I then take the hose and wash them off with a sharp spray of water. These are some ideas you may want to try. I've used Mr. Clean, Amway liquid soap 1+ tbs per gal of water. Windex spray, then spray with water within 5 min. I'm sure all of you can come up with plenty more, and I've tried all of them. Norma

Whiskey and Vodka does work. Someone gave my DH bottles for Christmas and that was a good way to use it. Also kills ticks on the dog.

Applied to the gardener, it only causes trouble.