Bugs Only
Friday, November 08, 2013God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done -- Author Unknown
It has been raining in the afternoon almost everyday recently. The nights have been cool and wet. Hence, I usually skip my normal watering routine the following morning and check on my plants whenever I have the opportunity to do so.
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Unfortunately just when I had the chance to walk out to the garden, I found bugs attacking my plants. Not just once but on consecutive days and on different plants. Yikes!!
This blue flower bud of my Gloxinia below has bugs all over its stalk (see pic above) and I was trying very hard to get rid of them.
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I would normally just remove the affected parts of the plant to get rid of the bugs. But if it is a succulent or a shrub or stalk with flowers, I would either remove by hand (squish it quickly in-between the leaves or just with my bare fingers, if not a lot), give the bugs a good hard spray with water to wash them away, cover it with soapy water or use my water-based insecticide to kill them, depending on the situation.
It is hard to get rid of them and they keep attacking the same plant. Sometimes they will give up totally but most of the time, they keep coming back, sigh...
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It is interesting to know that mealybugs are sap-feeding pests and occur throughout the world. How do you get rid of them?
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16 comments
I wash them with hand too! But when it's uncontrollable....I do use pesticide! ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree Malar. I do use pesticide also when the situation is uncontrollable (ugly sight to behold) :-(
DeleteYou can try to get rid of them by spraying a solution of watter with alcool and some drop of dishwashing liquid ...you can also put some matches ( head down ) in the soil or head garlic with their peel.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day !
Thanks for your visit !
Anna
Hi Anna, thank you for the tips - alcohol and to the soil matches and head garlic are new to me!
DeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteActually I don´t know how to help you and I´m so sorry for that.
I hope you find a solution to your beautiful garden!
Be blessed
It is ok Dahlia. thank you for your visit. Have a blessed day too :-)
DeleteHello Stephanie ,
ReplyDeleteSome of my plants have been attacked by the gardener cachonilhas and , after several attempts to eliminate them , just by booting the plants and replace them after a while . But I know I rushed because ridding the garden of mealybugs is not difficult task . According to the intensity and conditions of the attack , the control can be done with pruning and destruction of the areas most affected . Cleaning of the most infested with dry sponge or brush , or removal of insects with a cotton swab soaked in vinegar or ethanol, are also measures that are effective . For cases in which intervention is required harsher a solution spray the plant is attacked with emulsions coconut soap or a neutral detergent and then spray mineral oil . The oil kills animals by asphyxiation to form a film on them that prevents breathing . For added protection of plants , it is important that the spray is always done in the evening when there is less incidence of sun. The battle against mealybugs can be overcome , even with the application of insecticides of low toxicity suitable for use on ornamental plants . ( These information are taken from google ) . I have helped a little to save his plant.
Kiss .
Thank you Vera!! The list of solutions here are all very helpful. I appreciate this list a lot!!! And yes do all the spraying in the evenings. That is so true. Glad you included this.
DeleteEstes bichinhos são uma verdadeira praga , principalmente quando chove que não podemos
ReplyDeleteolhar elas todo dia.
sua planta está muito bela.
beijinhos
http://eueminhasplantinhas.blogspot.com.br/
Yup Simone, mealybugs love moisture. I found lots of them after the rain :-(
DeleteLinda esta flor.
ReplyDeleteabraços
Thank you Elisabete for the kind words :-)
DeleteUghh, mealybugs..they are horrible. I either use oil-soap mixture, or if it is bad, cypermethrin, or if they don't die with cypermethrin...I bring out chlorpyrifos and they all die like being exposed to nerve gas. The worst are the root mealybugs. I douse them vigorously with carbaryl mixture.
ReplyDeleteSean L, good list of pesticides!! Thank you for sharing. Those little bugs are really horrible creatures. Btw I do not like the pungent smell of pesticides hence I don't go normally use them. Sometimes when the plant is a rare one, then no choice. I would try every single method to save the plant! But when I buy a pesticide, I will normally only use one or two times. And yes those mealybugs that attack the roots they the worst ones!
DeleteYeah..
ReplyDeleteI had my own wars with Spicy Jatropha & Ylang-ylang.
I know how bad is it..
The best advice is that spray for 3 days continuously & watch out for ants.
They too are the culprits farming these pest on the plants.
Hope no more 'war' by now. Thanks for your advice James :-)
Delete