Root mealy bug

[mickthecactus]

I spend a lot of time just looking at the collection and certainly in summer it is a daily routine. Yesterday evening I was checking them all off when I noticed some soil appeared to have leaked out of a pot through the drainage holes. I have long since learnt that if something looks wrong, it is, so I took the plant (Aloe imalotensis) out of the pot and found a small ant farm in the pot tending a herd of root mealy bugs! I washed it all off then sprayed the roots with insecticide and left it bare root overnight before I spray again later today and repot. However, being suspicious I decided to check out plants nearest and sure enough each one had a small infestation so they have had the same treatment and I will continue to unpot and check this evening until I get to a clear area.

[Azuleja]

Wow, good catch.

[reality_velo]

I have the same issues, and I too am having to repot a lot of my plants. Root mealy bugs and scale are my biggest issues, thanks to the ants I cant seem to get rid of!

[mickthecactus]

Yes, I have more bugs. Mass repot under way,

[Azuleja]

We've kept ants in check (out of the house) with organic methods for many years now, but it didn't keep their colonies from expanding and farming aphids in our yard. This year I decided to go nuclear on them and the two colonies I targeted are now completely gone. They treated this stuff like crack, even fighting over it.

[mickthecactus]

That's what I need. Doubt it's available here.

[Azuleja]

I saw other abamectin based ant baits when I was searching. Maybe you have something similar?

[mickthecactus]

I shall check. Thanks!

[reality_velo]

Nice, thank you for the info. I did a search for it and i see only Advance 357A, is this what your using?

[Azuleja]

Mine doesn't say 357A but you can compare ingredients and percentages to see if they're similar. I got it on Amazon.

[reality_velo]

Will do, thanks!

[mickthecactus]

Doesn't look like it's available in the UK

[Steph115]

I also recently discovered some root mealybugs on my ponytail palm. Didn't seem to be a terrible infestation, they were almost concentrated at the drainage hole and I didn't find any further upward in the pot. Very strange. It's my first time running into these guys, but probably not my last.

[mickthecactus]

The bugs are back and another repotting session is under way. What I'm worried about is them getting into the Stapeliads but they live on opposite sides of the greenhouse so fingers crossed that they can't find the way.

Anyhow just came across an article suggesting one part hydrogen peroxide to 4 or 5 parts water and used as a soil drench will kill bugs and eggs.

Anybody come across it?

[mcvansoest]

yes, but did it tell you what strength H2O2 to use? Here H2O2 comes in a number of different strengths and obviously that matters for the dilution factor. I have used H2O2 to treat soil I plan to use for seed starting and I guess it has a sterilizing effect, but must admit that I have forgotten the exact mixture. I was using a 33% H2O2 base solution which I then diluted further with water to the desired final strength, which was less than that.

Is this an issue of having nothing more 'serious' available or a desire not to use heavy pesticides? I do not like using pesticides, but given how mealy bugs and other scale insects tend to spread despite not looking that capable of traveling that far (oh those ants), has me using a systemic on the plants the moment they show up and making sure to hit the nearby plants as well as a precaution.

[mickthecactus]

I’m afraid we are rather restricted as far as chemicals are concerned.
Need to check again.

[Gee.S]

Mick, I would try a termiticide. These are generally applied to and through soil around buildings and gardens, and typically remain effective for months. I know this seems harsh, but I'm not sure any other means would be effective.

[mcvansoest]

My combo has been imidacloprid as the systemic - which is probably not available in the UK and then if there are a lot of bugs on the plant above the soil level (which fortunately has only happened a few times) I use something called Ortho (I can look up what the active components are), which stinks with a very distinctive smell, which is why I know that most of the big box stores in my area use it.

Because of the stink I do not like to use the Ortho, but it certainly is effective. Recently had to treat a couple of new Hoyas we brought home (my SO is really into house plants, though fortunately not the crazy expensive ones that are currently the rage) because we kept getting a few mealys despite the imidacloprid drench, sprayed the plants and left them outside on the patio overnight... since then both have been completely mealy free.

Not sure they have termites in the UK...

[Gee.S]

I have tried imidacloprid here for mealies, and found it generally ineffective. Systemics in general, have limited efficacy against mealies. Problem is that systemics are not evenly distributed thru plants, and mealies move away from the bitter taste toward parts of the plants that haven't absorbed as much. Of course the other problem is that a fair number of encysted mealy eggs engage a delayed hatching strategy. That is why plants that have been completely cleaned often suffer reinfestation months later. Let's face it, mealies absolutely suck, literally and figuratively.

The active ingredient in Ortho is bifenthrin, the same termiticide I use here (under the trade name Bifen). Pretty sure termites are everywhere.

[mcvansoest]

Well, google tells me termites are found in over 70% of the world but not England... I guess they are lucky, but it probably means bifenthrin is not going to be available there.

It is probably the Ortho that is the most effective then in my treatment, but the thought is that since the systemic gets taken up through the roots, it may at least help with root mealies which are harder to get with the Ortho spray.

[mickthecactus]

Indeed. No termites here.

I shall report back on what we have.

I repot annually to try and ensure no problem and at my old house I was clear for 10 years. They reappeared after I used a temporary greenhouse whilst I moved. Didn’t know it was infected.

[Gee.S]

Seems miraculous that they haven't been introduced.

[abborean]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/77797.stm
But maybe they eradicated this initial infestation?

[mickthecactus]

It was 23 years ago..,

[Bryan Ickes]

I’ve seen several mentions about Ortho being an effective systemic pesticide. I recently discovered that I had a growing invasion of “Yucca Plant Bugs” (Halticotoma valida), which apparently have a particular interest in Filamentosa “Color Guards”, but they also went after the Aloifolia; probably other species as well. I researched and tested Sevin, and it completely eradicated the assailants.

Lacking much of an understanding of pesticides, I have never used them on my plants before. I have heard bad things about the potential harm for pets, walking barefoot in the grass, harm to pollinators, etc. but with a growing garden of diverse agave, yucca, opuntia, and other spikey specimens, I don’t want to assume such infestations won’t occur again.

Are Sevin or Ortho systemics that I should use preemptively, or only in response to seeing pests? Is one preferable to the other, given my goals and concerns?

Thanks folks!