BCSS - Forum

iann wrote:My bad. I fully intended to add a picture

caterpillar-120211.jpg

This is the same damn thing that just munched it's way through four of my smaller Ariocarpus! I followed the trail of eaten plants and found it curled up, sleeping off its large lunch.

Interesting Poll. Just a thought..........How about a thread addressing the control of/treatment for the top three? It would also be a help to learn what members have as treatment plans to keep our collections looking healthy.

1. Fungus
2. Mealies
3. Scariad flies

I think i managed to remove mealies from my collection by removing effected plants and liberal sprayings of Imidocloprid. All pests are pretty foul if you ask me, though. KILL 'EM ALL!!!

Good idea Flavio....

Over the last 4 days (on and off) i've gone over my entire collection with Provado vine weevil killer2. Mixed at their recommended dose of 50ml per 1lt of water. Sprayed and used a small artists paint brush to dab any bad areas....all in all found about 60 with mealy ...All looking good now though

Dave

According to the RHS "Several species of mealybug occur in greenhouses or on houseplants. These include Pseudococcus calceolariae, P. longispinus and Planococcus citri." http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/pro ... px?PID=201

The ones I have found on my Trichocaulon/Larryleachia are much smaller than those living on my Crassula ovata so I guess I have two species.....


tric_bug_3545 by aCactus2008, on Flickr


mealy_3593 by aCactus2008, on Flickr

Having found the bugs and taken their picture next steps were

Physical removal


stage1_3596 by aCactus2008, on Flickr

Chemical warfare


stage2_3597 by aCactus2008, on Flickr

Scrub


stage3_3598 by aCactus2008, on Flickr

Planococcus citri are considered the most common mealy in British greenhouses. They don't have noticeable tails. There are several almost identical species or varieties but the difference hardly matters to us. They are a pretty big species, up to perhaps 5mm if given a steady diet of cactus juice

Pseudococcus longispinus has tails as long or longer than its body. Other Pseudococcus species have shorter tails. P. calceolariae has two noticeable darker stripes on either side of the back half of its body although they may be hidden by the mealy coating. P. longispinus has a single less noticeable stripe. Another species present in Britain is P. viburni which has no stripes and tails around half the length of its body. They are all a similar size, maybe slightly smaller than Planococcus citri but not a lot of difference. Immature nymphs look very similar to an adult female but are much smaller.

Root mealies are Rhizoecus species and are generally quite a bit smaller, 2mm-3mm at most.

1. Mites - I've stopped growing many mesemb genera (and even a regrettable brief flirtation with Chamaecereus long ago) because of mites.
2(a). Root mealy, tiny ones on Lithops.
2(b). Root mealy, bigger pinkish ones on Haworthia.
3. Sciara fly, only once on one H.truncata's roots, but once is enough

How about a thread about the most pest-free or pest-prone genera or families? I've never seen any pest on my Adromischus, of which I have many

Lindsey

Earlier in this thread you should find some pictures of an Adromischus after some Vine weevil larvae had eaten most of the insides of the roots/stems. They only dined on one plant but they chose the largest

Living in a frost free region of sunny Spain, my plants sit their whole lives ouside. If God waters them too much in winter the most precious shelter in a frame. I am mercifully free of pests, get a bit of winter rot sometimes, and sciarid fly hovers near any soil left uncovered indoors.
Once, after sowing some seed, I left the tray for a few minutes while I went for a plastic bag - I found a cockroach in the seed tray digging up and feasting on the seeds I had just sown. That mother got splatted. So maybe I can have COCKROACH added to the list !!