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Thread: mealy bugs & scale!

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  1. #1
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    Angry mealy bugs & scale!

    Friends,
    I've got a few phals in the g'house with mealy bugs...not bad yet and a catt with what looks like scale. It's not any scale I've ever seen before...very small and when you take it off there is nothing under the shell! But there is lots of it on one plant. I'm tempted to treat the whole place because it not much bigger than a closet and the way I figure it if I start just treating individuals I'm bound to miss something. Any body know of a magic bullet for all of it? Malathion?
    Thanks in advance!
    Remo

  2. #2
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    Bruce Brown
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    Malathion and treat all the plant and the media. If this plant was near other plants, treat those too. Take no prisoners or soon you will have a population of scale that cannot easily be terminated.

    Cheers,
    BD

  3. #3
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    Thanks a lot, Bruce! I think I'll empty the g'house & spray everything then drench & spray the babies. The slash & burn approach to pest control has a certain appeal to me!
    Thanks,
    Remo

  4. #4
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    Connie
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    I even spray walls behind shelves, as well as the plants. I have found scale on the walls behind plants several times. Good luck...

  5. #5
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    Wink

    Thanks, Connie.
    The plan is to make a soapy, malathioney wash liquid and scrub out the place real good, then spray it down, then deal with the plants & media they live in.
    Step by step...
    Thanks again!
    Remo

  6. #6
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    Here is something I am trying, my daughter has a couple of Phals. with mites not the ones that make webs . I bought Bayer time release listed for roses, it says on the label it kills spider mites and a lot of other pests . I applied it about 2 weeks ago to her Phals . not hurt the plant (burn it ) It has Fert. in it but scattered on the moss a lot is not dissolved all at once will see what that does for mites .
    For other bugs I buy the Bayer soil and turf concentrate dilute it 1 Tbs. to a gallon then drench the pot and leaves .It has more imidacloprid the same thing that is in one a lot more expensive . chemical Gin lololol

  7. #7
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    Hi, Guys!
    What I did was empty the greenhouse, scrub the hell out of everything, shelving, walls, everything, with malathion with soap & physan. Let it air dry. While it was drying out I drenched every pot (phals, catts, everything) with malathion, a few drops of soap as a wetting agent and then sprayed all the foliage with the same mixture. I haven't used malathion for a while and forgot how stinky it is. I used a particle respirator, something I never used to do, I guess I thought I was indestructable. Put everything back and closed it up then vented it with the exhaust fans. It dried up nicely. I was a little concerned because it is a bit chilly in SoCal right now but today all looks well.
    Thanks for all your input and direction. I truly value this forum and all your collective wisdom & experience.
    DEATH TO BUGS!
    Remo

  8. #8
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    Bruce Brown
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    I hope you got them all!!

    Cheers,
    BD

  9. #9
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    Diane
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Cjcorner View Post
    I even spray walls behind shelves, as well as the plants. I have found scale on the walls behind plants several times. Good luck...
    Dang! That's really good to know!! I wasn't thinking scale was quite that mobile!

  10. #10
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    Another thing...I found that the little nooks & crannies of catts...you know, around the nexus of pbulb & leaf axis, is a great place for scale to hide. I took a soft toothbrush and cleaned all of them out. Just in case...
    Remo

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