To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [NAFEX] mealy bug problem
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:01:52 -0600
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.