A Gardeners Forum
Posted By: Tonya Mealybugs - November 20th, 2006 at 09:24 PM
I have been fighting mealybugs on 2 of my pothos for a while now. I have wiped iundividual leaves, sprayed with soapy water and tried a spray(can't use that anymore because of little babies-both human and animal) I did read that you can "touch" each bug with a q-tip soaked with alcohol, but could I mix an alcohol solution and spray the plant or would it kill it?? Thanks for any help!
Posted By: weezie13 Re: Mealybugs - November 20th, 2006 at 10:54 PM
I'm not tooooo big into Houseplants, but here's some info in Bill's Main pages of The Gardenhelper..
Controlling Mealybugs on Ornamentals and House Plants.

Here's some general care tips for plants too from there?? Insects, bugs and pests that invade your house plants and flowers.
Posted By: Tonya Re: Mealybugs - November 20th, 2006 at 11:47 PM
I had read those, Weezie- Thanks!! kissies What I really want to know is would an alcohol/water "bath" kill my plant?
Posted By: weezie13 Re: Mealybugs - November 20th, 2006 at 11:51 PM
No, that I do know...
I used to take the little alcohol squares you get for a diabetic to clean their shot area..
*do you know what I'm talking about?*
and just swipe the stem upward with those..
Never killed any of mine...
Posted By: Tonya Re: Mealybugs - November 20th, 2006 at 11:57 PM
Thank you!!! I have those same cloths and was going to use them.... kissies

OK- Off I go to wipe my plants...as soon as I figure out which dog of mine is passing gas and lock them in the bathroom with the vent fan on frown :p laugh laugh
Posted By: margaret e. pell Re: Mealybugs - November 21st, 2006 at 01:16 AM
I had been(hopefully past-tense!) struggling with mealies on one of my huernia for a long time. Everything I tried worked more or less, but they'd be back in a month or so. About a week ago I unpotted it and, sure enough, they were on the roots. A huernia doesn't mind drying out, so I treated the roots, let it be unpotted for several days, picked everything buggish off with a toothpick, retreated it(now in several sections, but that's ok) and potted it with fresh soil in a fresh pot yesterday. If you can't get rid of yours, or if you do but they come back, suspect and check the roots!
Posted By: Tonya Re: Mealybugs - November 21st, 2006 at 01:51 AM
Thanks for the tip, margaret!! I had them gone, but like you said- they come back in a few weeks to a month! I will have to check the roots! thumbup
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Mealybugs - November 21st, 2006 at 08:15 AM
ahh! i never thought they'd be in the roots!! good tip, margaret!!
Posted By: margaret e. pell Re: Mealybugs - November 21st, 2006 at 09:01 AM
Yes. Most pests are up or down, but mealies will do both. If you can't get rid of them perminantly above, it's because they're below!
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