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["Brungardt, Sam" <Sam.Brungardt@state.mn.us>]

Title: Message

Every year about this time I find mealy bugs have infested some of the plants that I overwinter in our sunroom.  Often these are plants on which I've never seen these pesky critters before.  Right now I have some on rosemary, amaryllis and stephanotis.  I have always been fearful that the mealy bugs will infest more of my plants and my standard weapon was banishing the plant to the outdoors (which with our below-zero temps at this time of the year does a satisfying job on the bugs but I lose the plant as well).

 

This year I'm trying to control the mealy bugs with rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip.  I swab every above-ground portion of the plant with alcohol, but control is temporary at best.  I sure would appreciate some ideas for dealing with mealy bugs.  I really hate to keep throwing away plants, but that might be my only alternative.  Thanks in advance for your advice. -- Sam Brungardt, St. Paul, Minn.