If they were in the same pot, more than likely the other plant has crawlies on it and will come down with a good case of mealies if the plant is not properly cared for. A lot of bug issues can be controlled simply by keeping the plants in question healthy. It's when the plant is weak that it gets attacked by bugs. It is always a good idea to quarantine any plants bought, it's just common sense not to allow new plants, animals, or whatever into the local population without first watching them for at least a few weeks. A good way to keep bugs, and disease from infecting plants is to give them a good bath in diluted bleach water then rinse before potting up in new soil and new pot. Someone else might be able to give a name of a systemic, but I don't use them as a rule and am not too familliar with them. You could use food grade diotomaceous earth as a dusting, this will dehydrate any bugs on you plants without chemicals. good luck

Thanks for the help. I just never thought of quarenteening plants..I never had any problem like that so was not even familiar with it..I have read some on it in other posts but not a lot.The one plant was infested pretty good and I could see it well...the one I am going to keep was my plant originally and is very healthy, i can not see anything on and I did wash it before repotting it in all new potting mix. I used the same pot but i washed the pot good also.
If I need to do anything else I am very open to aything others may suggest an i will get the diotomacious earth, I have heard of that before also..thanks for the reminder on that.

Mary

Mary,

You won't be able to avoid mealies forever. They've become a routine part of owning a plant collection. I don't agree that maintaining healthy plants will keep them away - mealies will appear on any plant they like as they migrate easily. Keeping your plants clean and inspecting them regularly will avoid an infestation. And I've come to use systemics when I find them. It's the only sure-fire way of knowing you got them ALL.

They love almost anything in the Crassulaceae family, Hoyas, Haworthias, Gasterias, Aloes... And they can come from anywhere. A local nursery or box store plant, from reputable sellers, traders, etc. I even found a couple on a bunch of bananas I brought home form the grocery store once! You just have to be terribly diligent about temporarily quarantining your plants and inspecting all the nooks and crannies regularly. Which is why the #1 method for keeping them at bay or under control is maintining a manageable collection.

The one that you tossed - was it truly infested with mealies? I can't imagine that anyone would send it obviously covered with mealies, and it seems time in a box wouldn't be time enough for them to take over...

Denise in Omaha

Thank you so much Denise for all the info. The ones I tossed I saw the bugs on and got afraid of it spreading so just got rid of it..it was a small rooted cutting of a Lutea. I dont think she sent it to me knoing it had the bug no, I didnt see them when i planted it either..but nothing else has it so I can only assume that is were they came from.
I dont really know enough about this to say for absolute certainty but its probably a good assumption.
You said you use a synthetic..can I ask what it is please? Do you just use it when you find the bugs or is there a proventative?
I watch my collection very closely but i dont often inspect below the soil unless a problem comes up that leads me to do so, or I am repotting somthing.
So far I have only found them with the one pot, I have checke everything else i have and dont see anything so I am hoping it is just contained to that pot and I did wash everything good and put in new mix.

Mary

A very good systemic insecticide is Bayer Tree and Shrub Insect Control concentrate diluted 1 oz (2 TBS) per gallon. Used as a soil drench, the imidicloprid insecticide will be absorbed through the roots, and distributed throughout the plant, protecting it from all kinds of sucking insects for about three months. I use it to protect plants during the winter, and treat outbreaks as they happen.

I just thought I'd pass these on, they're from Jerry Baker. He can come up with some weird ideas, but most times they work. Something we've forgot to add is any insect can become immune to chemicals over time, so it's best to rotate treatments to prevent them from adapting to certain chemicals.

Mealie recipe 1: 1.5 cups of brewed black tea, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp dish washing liquid, 1.5 cups water and spray on infected plants.

recipe 2: 2 tbsp each of corn oil and dish washing liquid in 1 gal water

recipe 3: 1-2 cups 70% rubbing alcohol, 2 tea bags, & 1 tsp Dish soap to enough water to make 1 gallon. He suggests dipping the entire pot for 15 minutes if you have root infestation.

As always I'd test these on a small area of the plant before going gung-ho on them. Dish soap, baking soda, and alcohol would dry mealies out, oil would smother them, but I'm not sure what the tea would do other than help the wounds heal and maybe help prevent secondary infection.

Take the plant out or the soil, spray the pot with windex take the soil and let Clorox drain through, put pot in the sun. I had a problem with root mealies today, so I washed the roots with dish soap not detergent. Let them sit for a while, then sprayed the roots, and plant with windex. I waited again and washed off after five minutes. I spray my plants twice a week on top with very soapy dirty dish water. Just keep at it. I also use diotomaciious earth
used for nurseries, it kept mealies out of the soil of my haworthia for 5 years.