Mealy Bug/Whitefly

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Chris L
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Mealy Bug/Whitefly

Post by Chris L »

I keep getting tiny little white specks of something on my cacti. I did think they were the male mealybug, but where ever they turn up the plant gets a black sooty residue on the spines.

The Ted Anderson book says that whitefly leave a sooty residue behind, so have I got mealy bug AND whitefly?

Will sticky traps catch them, or is it better to spray?

Thanks.
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purzo
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Re: Mealy Bug/Whitefly

Post by purzo »

Hi Chris,
Sounds to me like the skins shed by aphids, when they're young the "tiny little white specks" as you put it are indeed really small. The sooty residue could be mould growing due to aphid frass (feacal matter). I just found white specks which sound just like yours on my Venus Fly Traps, I sprayed with Bayers Ulitmate Bug Killer (Provado) which I guess is safe for cacti too. Perhaps somebody can confirm. Good luck.
Cheers
Gary

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Chris L
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Re: Mealy Bug/Whitefly

Post by Chris L »

I managed to get a picture. This is from a plant normally grown indoors. The female mealy bug is on the right behind the spine, but what is the white speck on the left, please?
mealybug004.jpg
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rodsmith
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Re: Mealy Bug/Whitefly

Post by rodsmith »

Chris L wrote:...but what is the white speck on the left, please?
Looks to me as though it could be a whitefly.
Rod Smith

Growing a mixed collection of cacti & other succulents; mainly smaller species with a current emphasis on lithops & conophytum.
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Chris L
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Re: Mealy Bug/Whitefly

Post by Chris L »

Thanks. I thought they might be.

I'll try and get some yellow sticky traps put up.
Joined 1991
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purzo
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Re: Mealy Bug/Whitefly

Post by purzo »

Yes, it's nothing like my original suggestion of old aphid skins. I think whitefly also excrete some sticky substance which would encourage the black mould-like substance you mentioned.
Cheers
Gary

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3bears
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Re: Mealy Bug/Whitefly

Post by 3bears »

whitefly is definitely flies:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... KMBEP4dMAw
the speck your camera shows very clearly, it doesn't look like a fly. i think it could be the mealybug egg case. a nice magnifier is an essential piece of diagnostic equipment. they even make hand held microscopes for about $15 these days. i broke for an old dissecting scope. the perfect situation would be to take pictures thru it.
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