spunwhirllin Posted May 11, 2003 greetings everyone, i've discovered the the majority of my cacti have mealies,crap! i've read that the prefered method of extermination is to unpot the plants and spray the roots with an insecticide,is this the only method of control? the above method can really be a drag when you've got quite a few cacti,any other methods out there? i've tried neem soaks,nicotene soaks, and well,i just squish em whenever i see em,but they refuse to vanish. i bought some pyritheum''organic''powder to soak the pots in. does anyone have any advice? much appreciated, spun Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skulking Lurker Posted May 11, 2003 I would not stuff around. Just get some powdered imidacloprid, mix it up with water to the appropriate strength, and do a complete soil drench of each pot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mescalito Posted May 12, 2003 Mealy Bugs? Don't they suck at the branch stem?? I've never seen them at the roots :confused: I've had great results with Pyrethrum + Garlic spray,otherwise a product called 'Maverick'. BTW there's usually a trail of ants that feed off the sugary discharge from them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spunwhirllin Posted May 12, 2003 thanx for the replies. i'm trying to go organic,if that fails i guess i'll have to take the other route,such as malathion. as to mealy bugs,i think they also get down to the roots and damage them in such a way as to prevent the plants from taking in water which in turn creates an enviroment that causes the plant to stagnate and rot. primarily i've spotted the mealies on the top sides of the plants,but if i dig down into the root system a little ways i'll sometimes spot em. yes there were ants,now deceased. i guess they transport the mealies and harvest the secretions. i'll try the garlic,i know it works well as a fungicide,but didn't even consider it as a pesticide. thanx, spun Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mescalito Posted May 15, 2003 Don't spend money on a commercial spray unless you have to! Many of the daisy family have pyrethrums,I've used sea-side daisy,feverfew(flower heads) and garlic,just by blending them up together with purified water,pop into a jar on the window-sill in the sun for a few days-strain and into a hand sprayer!Works a treat(also kils fleas on contact) :D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
