Root mealy bug

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Herts Mike
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Root mealy bug

Post by Herts Mike »

Just came across a treatment supposed to kill bugs and eggs. 1 part Hydrogen Peroxide to 4 or 5 parts water and then use as a soil drench.

Anybody else come across it or used it?
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Pattock
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Re: Root mealy bug

Post by Pattock »

I have heard of this treatment. Thankfully, I have not had root mealy bugs, to my knowledge.

The concentration of hydrogen peroxide is important. I seem to remember 1 part of 3% hydrogen peroxide (a concentration available from any pharmacy) to 2 parts water being recommended against mealy bugs and sciarid flies. At that concentration it will do no harm to plants, except by killing their symbiotic bacteria and fungi.

Hydroponic shops sell 11.9% to reduce the storage space for sufficient to treat large volumes of water. Many brands used to be 17.5% and one was 35% but, presumably, the Home Office have decided less than 12% is of no use to terrorists. It probably still bleaches your fingers if you spill it.

From what I have heard, it controls sciarid fly quite effectively, as well as being antifungal, anti-blue-green and antibacterial.

I would assume a drop of liquid soap would help with a waxy mealy bug.
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ralphrmartin
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Re: Root mealy bug

Post by ralphrmartin »

Pattock wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 5:40 pm From what I have heard, it controls sciarid fly quite effectively, as well as being antifungal, anti-blue-green and antibacterial.
Sounds like a useful aid in seed growing - if it does not do the seedlings in. Has anyone tried it in that context?
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Pattock
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Re: Root mealy bug

Post by Pattock »

ralphrmartin wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 6:11 pm
Pattock wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 5:40 pm From what I have heard, it controls sciarid fly quite effectively, as well as being antifungal, anti-blue-green and antibacterial.
Sounds like a useful aid in seed growing - if it does not do the seedlings in. Has anyone tried it in that context?
I have used it on a few different asclepiad seedlings in the last year, just to knock the green scum back. However, my bottle of H2O2 is so ancient that I doubt that was a full 1%. It still fizzes. Which reminds me, I should splash out another £1.79 and get a new bottle.
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fero
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Re: Root mealy bug

Post by fero »

I have used it in a homemade propagator over winter with African mountain lobelias, to stop damping off or fungi. Worked well. Unfortunately I managed to scorch most of the seedlings last spring.
Some are still slowly growing .
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Re: Root mealy bug

Post by JonNo »

This sounds interesting... Presumably if it kills root mealys and their eggs it will also kill any other type of mealys (which in my experience like to gather just under the edges of plants)? And all without damaging the plants if in the correct dilution?
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Re: Root mealy bug

Post by Cidermanrolls »

I’ve successfully, I believe, managed to eliminate root mealies from my collection. I’m fortunate to have a professional pesticide applicators licence, so have access to some products the general public does not.
I believe the key to eliminating the root mealies was a product called Gazelle which contains acetamprid.
Herts Mike
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Re: Root mealy bug

Post by Herts Mike »

Not much use to the rest of us...
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MatDz
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Re: Root mealy bug

Post by MatDz »

Herts Mike wrote: Sun May 16, 2021 10:09 pm Not much use to the rest of us...
There are at least two pesticides with acetamiprid, both Bug Clear Ultra and BCU Vine Weevil Killer have it, and the latter is a root drench, so might be a better option.
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Re: Root mealy bug

Post by Herts Mike »

Thanks Mat.
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