Kelly, I hear you about all the bugs.This year has been the first year since I started growing hoyas that I have been hit with so many different problems.First in the early summer I had soft scale.It took so long to get ride of these.Then I had a huge out break of melies with one plant also having hard body scale.I used this stuff called Bonide its a granular systemic.It helped take care of the soft scale but did not help with melies.I have now started using neem with Cinnamon oil with a bit of dish soap every ten days.I have been doing this for a few months and it seems to be working.I even like the smell which is so much better the the smell of chemicals.
Kelly can you get your hands on some neem.It really dose help control and stop the cycle.

Cindy

I have to admit that this has been the worst season for bugs (mealies and scale)----I agree with Cindy...the Neem concoction really does work if applied every 10 days....The secret is vigilance...It's a lot of work, a lot of spraying (which at least isn't the chemical smell! thank goodness!) I'm also trying a small fan to circulate the air during the evening/over night to see if that helps.....Will let you know! I think I will try soaking each plant in the spring with a systemic (I used diluted Bayer tree and shrub in the past and it really worked well.....I tried to go chemical free, but clearly that isn't working!)......I've decided that the hoyas will NOT be going outdoors this year when the weather turns nice....I get a lot of great new growth, but the bugs seem to worsen 10x over!

Neem and cinnamon oil? I'll try that. I tried Neem alone and it didn't get rid of them. I'm not even sure it knocked them back much. Maybe the addition of the cinnamon oil will help. I've not seen cinnamon oil around. Do you buy it at health food stores?

Someone mentioned that at some stage in their life cycle, mealies have wings. Can anyone confirm this? Have also heard that their eggs/larvae (?) can come in potting soil and that we should pasteurize again before use. I'm not too sure how accurate this info is, but they sure are a problem suddenly. Neem and cinnamon...

Thanks for listening Cindy and Debbie!

Kelly
I ordered the Cinnamon oil from iherb.They are in the states but will ship to us.I found them cheap for shipping and have over the years gotten a few different items.If you are going to put in a order let me know I can give you a coupon for 5 bucks off your first time order.
When using neem it takes time to work,its not like chemicals.
Neem is sort of like birth control for bugs.It causes them to stop eating and mating.Their brains get confused kinda,If that makes sense.Im not good at explaining things but can say it will work if you keep at it. If you think you have mealies in your soil you can also use neem with your watering but don't use Cinnamon oil when you water your plants.Its good for your spray bottle.

Cindy

I too have some smaller problems with pests, since I do not use chemicals. The problems are all well contained. The bugs always seem to attack the same plants and I have never observed the bugs moving to other plants. I have one Carnosa and a Multiflora that has the little red bugs that attack new growth. I've eliminated them off these plants twice this winter by being vigilant and squishing them. I have some mealies on 2 of my other Carnosa and squish and stab them with toothpicks as I see them. I find that the bugs that everyone comments on are greedy. The bugs that live in my plants never attack more than they can eat. ::Knock on Wood:: Maybe I have been lucky, but this pattern has been going on for about 4 years now.

Good luck with the aphids, scale, mealies, mites, and all other pests.

-David