Remedies against mealybugs - what do you think?

[Chris in Leeds]

I keep hearing about how good this SB Plant Invigorator and wondered if it is worth the price that it is as I wouldn't be wanting to buy the RTU spray it would be the dilute version

[Patrick]

I should add that it was Chris43 who first alerted me to Doug having Neem and searching back through the many posts on the topic on this forum I see I first started using it in 2008, have used no chemicals since then and have seen no mealy bug either. That does go a long with a strict quarantine policy for new plants coming in.

[Paul in Essex]

I keep hearing about how good this SB Plant Invigorator and wondered if it is worth the price that it is as I wouldn't be wanting to buy the RTU spray it would be the dilute version

I am a simple soul so bought one rtu sprayer plus a bottle of concentrate that I can top up the sprayer with. Didn't think it was that dear in the grand scheme of things. Certainly cheaper than getting new plants without mealies

[Terry S.]

Using the concentrate, the SB Plant Invigorator works out at 25-30p per litre of spray. Not much compared to the amount that some of us pay for plants. And as I indicated earlier, what else does the amateur have to fight red spider mite?

With respect to neem tree oil (active ingredient azadirachtin), it is indeed an insect anti-feedant and growth regulator with relatively low mammalian toxicity. Azadirachtin has been formulated into insecticides but I have never seen any of these sold in a garden centre and they may not be licenced for amateur use. I would personally be worried about buying neem oil itself and then doing my own formulation to turn it into an insecticide; easy to get something like that wrong. And yes, I am a retired chemist!

[Chris in Leeds]

Thanks Paul and Terry I will look for somewhere that sell it now and might get a RTU and concentrate

[purzo]

I do exactly what Doug Donaldson recommended which is "5ml (1 teaspoon) of neem oil per litre of water, plus up to a teaspoon of detergent to thin the oil. Mix well in warm water, add to watering can with cold water and stir well. Do it after first watering, June or July and late September."
I usually mix enough for a full 10 litre watering can in a jug at the kitchen sink, so 10 teaspoons of neem with maybe 6 or 7 of washing up liquid in hot water.

Thanks Patrick, I'm going to try this on my dwindling stapeliad collection which seems to be ground zero for mealy bugs in my greenhouse.

Thanks also to the other contributors to this very helpful and informative thread.

[dalesmatt]

May I echo the above sentiments, its a great thread, any info about killing these damned pests is a good thing.

In the words of Gollum..."We hates them, Precious! We hates them forever!"

[IanW]

A question though: I noticed mealybugs mysteriously disappeared on cacti that I put outside. Inside the house I could hardly exterminate them but shortly after I put them outside there where no mealybugs to be seen.
Are insects to blame for this or could there be an other factor playing a role in this (that we hopefully overlooked)?

I've seen ants carrying them off both inside, and outside the greenhouse before. They seem to farm them, god only knows why. Just ants being ants I suspect.

[KarlR]

I've seen ants carrying them off both inside, and outside the greenhouse before. They seem to farm them, god only knows why. Just ants being ants I suspect.

It's how they get their meals.







I'll see myself out...

[widea]

I've seen ants carrying them off both inside, and outside the greenhouse before. They seem to farm them, god only knows why. Just ants being ants I suspect.

It's how they get their meals.

I know ants keep "herds" of aphids to milk them, in this case the ants may eat mealybugs but there was not a single ant to be seen. I strongly suspect there is another environmental factor mealybugs don't like. If we know that factor maybe we can use it to get rid of these bugs apart from the other methods we already know. Perhaps the title of this thread should have been "The easiest remedies against mealybugs - what do you think?".
Another thing that occurred to me: I never saw insects like mealybugs on herbs like Mugwort. At the moment I am treating the mealybugs with a Mugwort tincture. They do not like it.
So I know there are certain methods to kill mealybugs but I am curious what other people use and what opinion they have. And I am also curious what I can find myself. It is almost becoming a hobby