Mealy bug friendly?

[Brian]

Carl your comment is interesting that you get mealies inside your home. This is presumably because of warmth plus air circulation not as good as it might be. I do not think I have ever seen mealy bug outside.

[Brian]

Thanks for some great posts, only just studied them all due to being locked out. Terry you have a good point about hemlock, he he.

[Carl]

In this country I should think mealybug outside is uncommon but obviously in habitat it's where they live

[juster]

Brian can you give me the dilution you use for the neem? assume you do dilute it? I've not tried it, but it sounds good for Echeverias, which the mealies love!

[Liz M]

I found mealy-bugs on holly when I was pruning it last year. I was concerned thinking I had brought it into the garden.
I followed the instructions on the bottle of neem oil. 10ml neem oil, 10 ml washing up liquid in 500 ml water. I put it in a spray bottle and shake well before use. It's very smelly but effective against mealies. Don't spray it on your Echeverias, as it badly marks the leaves. Spray it on the soil and the stems of them. Also, take off dead leaves and don't let leaf debris build up, it gives them hiding places.

[juster]

Thanks Liz, this sounds really hopeful and I shall give it a try.

[Nick1]

I read an article a little while ago that said ladybird larvae actively seek out and eat mealy bugs.
You'd have breed a new batch each year though as I don't think they survive the Winter. And of course you wouldn't be able to use pesticides.

[Terry S.]

You don't have to raise them yourself. The commercial ladybird predator that is used for mealies is Cryptolaemus montrouzieri that you can buy in. However although biological controls are commonly used in commercial nurseries as part of an integrated pest control system, they are not easy for the amateur. Also, as Carl was complaining over SB Plant Invigorator, the purchase of small quantities can be quite expensive.

[Carl]

Spotted some mealybug on a cotoneaster yesterday! As for Neem you have to be careful what you use it on for instance you should not use it on epiphytic cacti as it will damage the stems.

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