Toni,
No, brown roots do not mean the plant is dead. As long as the roots are firm and not slimy they should be okay. Some of the ingredients in your potting medium may have just stained them. Any chance you're using the Gritty Mix? I do and those roots do stay white(ish).

If the roots are soft, they're probably dead/dying. I'd just snip those off just above the soft tissue and apply some sulfur.

Many of us clivia growers use one of the Bayer products like Bayer Tree and Shrub to prevent mealy bugs. The key ingredient is imidacloprid. It works quite well. If you buy the concentrate and it will last for a good long while.

Gail

Jon,
I'm confused at what you're trying to say (ie. #2 and url thing). Would you please re-word.
Thanks,

Gail, thanks so much. I was very concerned brown roots meant dead/dying Clivias.

Last week, temps were icy cold. A couple nights were near freezing...to top it off, we had non-stop rain.
This wkend warmed up, stopped raining, so I brought most plants inside. Still have 20 or so to clean and haul in.

Insecticides. Problem is, I can't use chemicals. We have birds so I pretty much steer clear of poisons.
Vinegar has become our Number 1 household cleaner. lol.

I make a home-made brew that prevents/kills insects..all but Mealy. Still haven't found a source to kill those suckers.

I can honestly say it's been 15+ years since I've seen Mealy on any plant. That is until two winters back.
Ironically, numerous people 'on GW' have complained finding Mealy on their plants about the time my Clivias were hit. Mealy has always been around, but the last two years, on a much larger scale. Makes one wonder.
Plants that were infested were Clivias and African Violets. Different rooms..in fact, some are upstairs.

Gail, no I do not use gritty mix. I've been using the same mixes/mediums over 20 years. It's well-draining, so constantly wet soil isn't a problem.

Jon. I had no idea there were different types of Mealy. Chinese Mealy? lol..Do they differ in looks?
Did Chinese Mealy originate in China? My last Clivia order came from China, but that was back in 2009. Don't think eggs, if any, took two years to hatch. Is it possible? I take the blame since it's been so long.

Thanks again. I feel so much better. Clivias are indoors, out of freezing temps and constant rain. Toni

Gail I have like 5 different methods of Mealy removal on the website, 2 of which I reccomend :)

Toni:

They look the same, The only difference is pesticide resistance. We bring in about 2-300 chinese clivia at a time and I learned last year that they have some that are very definitely resisting Bayer tree and shrub now. Thus my changing to Cyflutherin and Enstar. Cyflutherin is non-resistable because it basically becomes sharp crystals on the plant leaf that once stepped on by the insect punctures their carapace multiple times. Since insects cannot stop a bleed they die. Enstar sterilizes the females and causes the babies to be born without a carapace at all, so between them you get near 100% knock down. The only issue is that mealy bug eggs are covered in that waxy substance, thus spraying over and over again until the egg cycle is completely broken.

Toni: Use just the Cyflutherin or Just the imaclorprid, unless the birds eat the plants the imaclorprid wont get into their systems because its a systemic. Cyflutherin is one of the safest chemicals used, it has a 4 hour poison period only. Once it dries its perfectly safe for animals and people. I would spray REALLLY REALLY large amounts into the centers of the plants and do it for like 8 weeks.

Clivia, what is Cyflutherin or imalorprid?
Do you know what they're made from?

My birds are free-flying, (when I'm home) but usually stay in one room. But, if something startles one or more they all go flying. I never know where they'll land, so you see I can't take that chance.

Birds love plants. My friends bird devoured an entire Hedera Helex Ivy. The Ivy was huge. The little guy ate down to the soil line. He wasn't hungry..it was done as entertainment.

Thanks..so far my Clivias are w/o Mealy, 'I hope, lol' Thanks again, Toni

Cyflutherin is an enhanced pyrethrin. I explained how it works and really cant explain it much more than that :-/

I really cant explain eithr more than the way I just explained them sorry. I am not a chemist. If you google them you can find the EPA reports on both and they will give you the toxicity levels and what is needed to be ingested to be poisonous to both birds and fish.

Cyflutherin:

http://extoxnet.orst.edu/pips/cyfluthr.htm

Extoxnet is a good source. So is the NPIC

Imidacloprid:

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/imidacloprid.pdf

-Jon

Notes on what you will read:

1: they fed both products directly to the animals, not a plant dosed in the product, in HIGH doses. I use 11mg/gal of cyflutherin when I am feeling like really killing something.

2: Imidacloprid is also the stuff in the flea liquids I believe for dogs. Its pretty safe.