Bugs bugs bugs...

[gavstang]

Hey everyone..yeah its been a while since I last posted anything, its been a busy period in my life. My son is now 16 months old and entering an exciting stage in his life as he is walking and learning to talk. He calls me "papa" although he also refers to the teddy bear as "papa", although Im not sure this is a coincidence as Im prob as round as the teddy bear!

The downside of course has been that I have rather neglected my orchids. Ive actually not bought any new plants in almost 6 months. Im rather surprised at that myself. Well, recently I noticed that my dendrobes had not flowered for a while and after some investigation found that all the flower buds had been nipped off. I initially suspected a little bird that lives around my area which is infamous for nipping off flower buds as it wrongly mistakes them for insects, however I began to think otherwise when I realised that all my other plants were flowering apart from my dendrobes and it was finally confirmed when I found the dreaded yellow beetle (lema pectoralis) chowing down on my phal violacea (blue)! I found another on an asco and promptly brought death upon them! Now im pissed...I also found a huge mealy bug infestation on my variegated yucca and japanese roses!

Anyone have any tips on effectively wiping these evil bugs from my garden? I just bought some insecticide with cypermethrin as an active ingredient to deal with the beetles and I plan to kill the mealy bugs with some washing detergent mixed with water and maybe a few blasts from my roach killer. They seemed to work the last time.

Im now dying to go back and annhilate them!

Counting down the hours before I can go home....

[catttan]

Hi Papa Tang - you are going through a very exciting chapter of your life ! These are cherished moments indeed: take it from me, a papa who has gone through it 3 times. ( I'm not talking about the bugs). In the twilight of my years I treasure these moments s I' sure you will when you reach my age.

As for the yellow beetles I've yet to find one that can control this pest. 'Search and destroy' is the only way. As for the mealy bugs the method you intend to use is as good as any - use the water-based aerosol spray - but I find some flower buds may abort from the spray.

[HHLL38]

I've recently started simply washing my plants leaves where I find mealies, a dilute alcohol solution seems to do the trick. However, if they are in the flowers/buds, you may have to abort flowering to ensure your orchids continued health.

I've no experience with beetles, so unfortunately I haven't the slightest clue as to what to kill them with.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

I'll just add a congratulations 'Papa'! What a wonderful time of life!

cheers,
BD

[gavstang]

Hi Papa Tang - you are going through a very exciting chapter of your life ! These are cherished moments indeed: take it from me, a papa who has gone through it 3 times. ( I'm not talking about the bugs). In the twilight of my years I treasure these moments s I' sure you will when you reach my age.

As for the yellow beetles I've yet to find one that can control this pest. 'Search and destroy' is the only way. As for the mealy bugs the method you intend to use is as good as any - use the water-based aerosol spray - but I find some flower buds may abort from the spray.

Yew Sung, thks! I definitely cherish this time I have when my little boy still cant answer back to me! Search and destroy is hard as Im quite squeamish about bugs! Dont have the fortitude to squish em with my fingers as I cant stand touching the buggers!

[zainal abidin]

Tahniah Abang....hidup tambah berseri dengan keletah anak yang comel, take care, I agree with Yew search and crush including their caterpillar, cocoon covered with white wax, I also used Pestec 3, the active ingredient is alpha cypermethrine no smell I thinks your should be ok, plz protect your son.

[gavstang]

Thks Bang Zain...yes ive found their cocoons..DESTROYED!

[catttan]

Yew Sung, thks! I definitely cherish this time I have when my little boy still cant answer back to me! Search and destroy is hard as Im quite squeamish about bugs! Dont have the fortitude to squish em with my fingers as I cant stand touching the buggers!

'Search and Destroy' as applied specifically to Squeamish Buggers (Exterminaotrs) - Hold a plastic bag with a diameter of 4 inches just under the flower that's being devoured. Being a squeamish bugger, hold a pencil/ball-point pen and touch the yellow beetle with the point of pencil/bp pen. The beetle will drop like a stone straight into the open bag. How you deal with the beetle once you have caught it in the plastic bag ...........NB This beetle's escape mode is unique, as it doesn't fly away when touched but drops straight down into the grass or undergrowth and no amount of searching or scratching around( chicken style) for it will eveer be successful.

[gavstang]

'Search and Destroy' as applied specifically to Squeamish Buggers (Exterminaotrs) - Hold a plastic bag with a diameter of 4 inches just under the flower that's being devoured. Being a squeamish bugger, hold a pencil/ball-point pen and touch the yellow beetle with the point of pencil/bp pen. The beetle will drop like a stone straight into the open bag. How you deal with the beetle once you have caught it in the plastic bag ...........NB This beetle's escape mode is unique, as it doesn't fly away when touched but drops straight down into the grass or undergrowth and no amount of searching or scratching around( chicken style) for it will eveer be successful.

Noted! Will do as instructed...