Ugh. I'm sorry. Those little buggers send this jolt of electric horror down my spine. Which is kind of funny as I attempt to humanely dispose of fruit flies. Apparently I'm just a big hypocrite.

Isn't this season just the worst for these kinds of problems? Last fall I had a powdery mildew situation of epic proportions. My poor violets were all reduced to nubbins by the time it was under control. Luckily, I seem to have corrected my growing conditions and haven't seen a spot of it so far. /knocks on wood

GG, lacunosa's one of my favorite hoyas since I got it last June. It does really well when it blooms, all lush and green. After a blooming period, it starts to yellow, dropping leaves and some vines start dying back. I guess each hoya grower has a plant that's a mealie magnet and I remember Denise saying bella was hers (that makes me cautious of growing it). I love compacta too, but people say once it gets mealies, it's hard to get rid of them (hard to reach cause of the leaves). Lacunosa's rootbound too. Compacta I got earlier this year as cuttings from Carolyn. The mealies were also on TigerDawn's grandmother's carnosa cutting I got from her, but I took care of them easily.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

I almost killed my lacunosa about a year ago. I can't remember what I did to it anymore, but it was down to some little stubs and so now I have all these little tiny pots of it that are apparently almost indestructible b/c they are so small I keep overlooking them. I can't figure out how I managed to destroy the mother in the first place. I think... I got sloppy and overwatered her a bunch. I agree, it is an exquisite plant. The leaves are just perfect.

You know how in The Secret Life of Plants, it upsets the Mimosa Pudica when they kill bugs nearby? I often wonder whether our Hoyas are privately distressed every time we kill a bug we find on them.

Brad, I have also been hit extremely hard with mealies this year, but I think that is because of the recent years of mass lady bug releasing. The lady bugs may have offset the balance of nature (I believe that some stink bugs eat lady bugs - could that be the reason for their population explosion?) and it has resulted in a mealy bug invasion. In all the years I have put my plants outside, never have I seen things the way they are now.

Presently, I am using Merit 75 on mine so hopefully, by drenching number four they will be history for the year. (I am getting frosts here so no one is outside now).

I know the stink bugs are bad this year. Usually every fall, the ladybugs are everywhere!

We're under a frost advisory here too in this part of PA. I think a few nights ago there was one in your area too, bullsie.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Brad,

You really have to be ultra-diligent when it comes to mealies - you never really get rid of them once you have them. I keep a spray bottle with about 2/3 rubbing alcohol and 1/3 water with a few drops of Dawn dishwasing liquid in it. If I find signs of mealies (or scale), I spray-spray-spray. That's if I see them on one plant. If I start seeing them other places, I water in the BATS on any nearby plants. Since my collection has gotten large, I try to closely inspect each plant every time I water. It's a hassle, but it pays off in a lot of ways. First, my plants stay well groomed - you'll rarely find a dead leaf on one of my plants. And second, I find the little nasties before they have a chance to procreate and turn into an infestation...

It was mealies that made me quit growing both bella and compacta. I do have a compacta and variegated bella again now that I'm armed with BATS, but boy do I keep a close eye on them!!

Don't give up on lacunosa. It can be tempermental at times - I've also experienced the yellowing and die-back. But what I've learned is lacunosa does not want to go very dry. I water mine faithfully once a week - I think it's about the only one I water on a schedule... If I wait a couple extra days, the leaves feel a little dehydrated. Watering more than my gut tells me to is how I salvaged my lacunosa 'Sno Caps'... it was at death's door and I decided "Ok, it's a goner anyway, so I'll put it on the back porch" and then we had a very rainy spring/early summer. It bounced back and I've been watering it before it gets even a little dry since and it's thriving...

You're learning by experience, kiddo!

Denise in Omaha

Thanks, Denise for your advice! The days have been cooler now and I just brought the rest of my houseplants in (lacunosa being the last hoya outside along with my Thanksgiving cactus, crown of thorns and passion flower). Lacunosa hasn't been drying out too fast like it did in the hot days of summer. It hasn't flowered in a little while (over two months), so I hope it can recover to bloom again.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

I think everyone has had an issue with mealy bugs this year. They were so bad here that they were even on the non hoya plants out in the yard,shrubs and such. I've never seen them so bad in a single season.

As far as mealies on your compacta ,good luck!!! Once they're in those curly twisted leaves it can be a major task getting rid of them. If your plant is still small enough maybe you could try submerging it in a 5 gallon bucket of something like BATS or Sevin. The easiest way to keep them away from a compacta is to never allow it to become completely dry. Don't keep it dripping wet all the time but don't let it dry out either.

David, I think you may be right. I have an inclination to want to keep compacta a little drier because it's more succulent, like carnosa. I'll defintely take your advice!

Brad, lacunosa is one I never put out (oh, except for that 'Sno Caps' and only because it was failing...) It's hard to keep the water lovers watered when it's hot. Try keeping it inside, in the same spot year round. It seems to be one that doesn't like change.

Denise in Omaha

Brad, I am one that loves Hoya rope. I have 6 ea baskets of it!!! This is what my mother used to grow when I was growing up and I just love those curly leaves. But I had mealies once, I used the BATS and it worked wonderfully. So don't be afraid just be careful with it. It may save your collection.

And what type of crown of thorns do you grow? I have the milli white and red. And this summer bought the larger variety in Red. I love crown of thorns too. My grandmother grew them and my mother now has those. I will someday. Good luck with Compacta and Lacunosa! Keep us informed.

I cannot say enough about staying on top of these things! Denise is right...treating and re-treating is the only way to get rid of them....It took me about 2 weeks...and of course who is to say they won't re-surface....I keep a close eye on my plants...pay special attention if you use any clips...they love hiding in there...

Debbie is soooooooooooo right about the clips. Several orders I received in the past were completely clear; no bugs. I treated the surfaces as a precaution, but within two weeks I was overrun with mealies. I discovered egg sacs in the butterfly clips!!!

Carolyn

Oh thanks, guys. Now those cute little pink plastic butterflies and bees are never going to look charming and innocent to me again!

Teisa, my crown of thorns is a white flowering variety from EA(although it hasn't flowered since I bought it in bloom). I bought at Lowe's last year. A few stems died, but I have two or three stems that are still green and growing.

I do use the dragonfly clips on some of my plants, and I never thought of checking under them for mealies.

I have never used BATS before on my plants. People have recommended it for my lacunosa last year when I had the mealie problem then. I can't find it around here. I've checked Wal-Mart and Ace Hardware but they don't carry it. Lowe's and HD aren't real close to me either and I can't drive. So I guess I'll have to make do with what I have.

I'm also seeing soil gnats flying around too. Dad brought home a fruit fly trap (Shaped like an apple, filled with liquid that smells like vinegar. Ironically, he works at Ace Hardware). Anyone else having problems with gnats?

Brad AKA Moonwolf

I AM being annoyed by the population of them in one of the tupperware containers I've rigged up to handle some larger cuttings.

But I usually don't worry about them too much. It was my understanding that fruit fly traps don't work on fungus gnats. The only way to handle them is to let your soil dry out between waterings. Also, avoid organic mediums and fertilizers, like fish emulsion. And make sure you're cleaning up any decaying plant matter. That should keep the population down to the odd one or two fluttering about.

Hi Brad! I got my BATS at Wal-Mart. I found it where they have the plant insecticide in the garden Center. It is pretty expensive (15.00) but it takes care a lot of different critters. And with me have alot of compacta, its really worth it. I use it every 3 months as a precaution.

Carolyn & Debbie,

I hadn't even thought about the clips... I've found them under the rims of pots, though. So when I spray the alcohol mixture, I always include under the pot rim, and now I'll spray the clips, too!

Denise in Omaha

If one replaces all the potting media, and cleans the plant, are the mealies still a problem?

I've never dealt with them, so I'm not sure how persistent and ubiquitous they are.

I do know that I've purchased plants that were infested with something worm-like,
and I opted to just toss all the old soil mix and call it done.


Josh

Mealies have to be the most difficult pest to deal with. The adults can lay eggs on almost anything, furniture, walls, pots, any place they can hide. The young are mobile and can then go in search of plants to feed on. You can completely clean a plant only to find mealies again the next time you look. There are lure traps that are designed to catch the flying male mealy bugs so that there is a limited reproductive population. I have not tried these traps yet but they would be worth a try.

I have been fighting a problem with these pests for a while. First I alternated between alcohol and neem which work well but in the end I have had to get a systemic insecticide. The insecticide has not even been able to handle the mealies and I am hoping that they are not already resistant to it. I have seen improvement but the mealies always come back although the plants seem less affected and are growing well.

I think Denise's approach is the best to take, inspect your plants often and keep some alcohol handy to spot treat any insects you see. Check under clips, on pots and in the general area where you grow your plants. There are lady bird beetles that specifically prey on mealy bugs but they are best used in an enclosed greenhouse.

Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: Some info on mealy bugs

WHAT is BATS? I am learning a lot from all of you so I must know what that is. I will surely keep an eye out for those little critters!! Thanks for all the info! Darr

BATS is a short cut for "Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub"...its a systemic (insecticide). The one below is the one recommended for Container plants...but PLEASE read the label carefully and use it with extreme caution as with any insecticide.

Here is a link that might be useful: BATS...