which systemic do you have?

Its this one.

http://www.bayeradvanced.com/product/3-in-1-Insect-Disease-and-Mite-Control/concentrate.html

says its for roses but also can be used on houseplants.

Label only says controls scale in crawler stage so that wont work on scale thats attached but..I would call them and ask if they recommend this for broms. Malathion will work on the soft scale and you can buy that any where.

wulfgar, post a pic of your pest please!

Insecticides are not interchangeable. It makes a difference what pest you have. Systemics are used for insects with sucking mouth parts, such as scale or mealybug. If you have mites you need a miticide.

We use Marathon, which is one of the safest systemics to use. It is granular, and sprinkled on the soil around the base of the plant at the rate specified on the label. Do not put anything in the cup, and do not apply anything unless you know what critter you have, what the correct rate is, and whether or not it's even approved for use on ornamentals. Also, be sure to use whatever protective gear is recommended. I'm serious. You'll thank me when you live to be a ripe old age an aren't spending half your time in the oncology wing of your local hospital!

If you have scale or mealybug, a good home remedy is the old cottonball dipped in alcohol. Not only kills 'em but removes the bodies too. It would probably help with mites or aphids too, as would spraying them with a little soapy water. If it's only one or two plants then the home method is much easier, cheaper and safer.

Malathion 5EC is an insecticide and miticide

Lisa, could you please tell me what you mean by Alcohol?....LOL
Im not a drinker and i dont know what kind of alcohol i would have to use
Is there something i can get thats general?
Thanks in advance

plain old rubbing alcohol like you have in the medicine cabinet

I ditched the systemic because it had a fertilizer in it...plus I wasn't sure it would work. IÂm going to try an alcohol solution but if that doesnÂt work IÂve got a nice bottle of "kill everything that moves and some things that donÂt" on standby. Might even get rid of those darn squirrels...smug little buggers. :)

Bromeliads donÂt do well with oil based pesticides, correct?
I passed up a "safe" pesticide for fruit baring plants that said not to use on oil sensitive plants.

No oil-based pesticides. No "kill everything that moves" unless you're willing to include yourself in that. I know I sound like doom and gloom, but I have good reason.

A bottle of plain old rubbing alcohol and some cotton balls will cost you a couple of bucks at your local drug store. It'll kill any bug it comes in contact with, won't hurt your plant (as long as you do it in the shade, not in hot sun), and the worst it'll do to you is dry your skin out a little. Can't beat that!

The two active chemicals in the spray are cyfluthrin and imidacloprid. So far everything i've read says they aren't that toxic to mammals and are non-carcinogenic. It seems the only things they're dangerous to are bugs and fish.

Gee, Lisa, I dont think you can buy plain old alcohol in a bottle in our Chemists "drug store"in Australia?
I will ask one our Aussie girls for some more information on this maybe
thanks.....
Oh!!! would another name for the slcohol be called metholated spirits?

isopropyl rubbing alcohol

It's such a basic first-aid product, I'd think it would be available in any drugstore/chemist anywhere in the world. There are different brands and strengths, but they should all work about the same.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:461922}}

Tropo, its called isocol, green plastic bottle, am 75% sure it is available in the supermarkets nowadays too.

ahhhh well there you go...This i did not know, I still live in the dark dinosour age i do believe...LOl
Thanks guys