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Sat, Sep 24, 11 at 14:21
| I went to take a cutting off a coleus today and found the undersides of the leaves covered with three things. One type I am pretty sure are mealy bugs. The others I am not sure about but they are circled in picture below. What is the best way to ride the plant of these pests? I would like to the species of this miniature coleus. |
Image link: Mealy Bugs and other pests on Indoor Coleus (60 k)
Here is a link that might be useful: Coleus 1
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| Mealybugs, all of 'em. Adults, ovasacs, crawlers, etc. That's a very bad infestation of a pest that can be quite a challenge to control. Have you tried anything, so far? I would ordinarily recommend a misting solution of water/alcohol, but I have never treated coleus with the alcohol. If this were my plant, I would take as many small stem cuttings as I could, wash them all carefully in soapy water, rinse, wash, rinse....and then root them in a good potting mix. Do you know how to take stem cuttings? |
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| I have yet to see a Mealy Bug that can take a good coating of Horticultural Oil and survive. Even at low concentrations of 1%. I do not know if Coleus is sensitive though. I think the reason people don't always get control with Oil is that they spritz it on like a stomach poison pesticide, Oil works only if you completely coat the insect. You probably don't have time for this but the Mealy Bug Destroyer, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri is a predator that is commercially available. Predators take the right conditions and pest populations to establish, but this one seems to be a little more forgiving than some others. It will also eat other pests occasionally. Besides they're pretty cool bugs. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Mealy bug destroyer
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| Like Aphids Mealy Bugs can be knocked off any plant they are on with a shapr water spray. Coleus is sensitive to horticultural oils so that may not be a good option. |
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| I disagree that mealies can be sprayed off with water, at least not enough to manage a population consisting of generations of the little pests. |
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| I have Coleus listed on the actual Oil label listed as a safe plant. Of course always check with a test sample. Also under certain conditions Oil will burn any plant, so read the label. |
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