Fighting bugs

17 years ago

Hi:

Since I have moved just about all of my plants indoors I have started noticing problems with some pests. In particular I have a Carnosa that has what looks like mealies on it and they are spreading to some other nearby plants(mostly my indoor coleus). I pressure washed it with a distant mist and cold water. It looked great and I saw no signs of these bugs until recently. I also have a large Carnosa in another room that has a good deal of small red bugs on it(this one is near a lot of my other Hoyas, but I have not seen them on any others except my Lacunosa x obscura). I have been squishing these by hand and feel that I eradicated them from the LxO, but I still see them on my large Carnosa. Then I have also noticed some gnats flying around some of my other plants, mostly broms and a few of my succulents.

I have a fair sized plant collection which I mostly obtained in the past year, and I have never used pesticides or any other chemicals before(attempting to be eco friendly). But at this point I am hoping that someone can point me in the direction of a product that I can treat my Hoyas with periodically. I am also hoping that this product will not be something that my Hoyas will get upset at me for using.

:-((((((

David

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Comments (6)

stevenwayne
17 years ago
if they are red they prob are spider mites a pain to get rid of they are attracted to fern ivy they are easy recinized theybare red they are accually a spider not a bug
Denise
17 years ago
David,

Unless you have a LOT of time to spend trying to rid yourself of these pests "manually", and if your collection is large, you should just give in to the fact that you will need to use systemics to control the buggers. I resisted for 30 years, then gave in a few years ago. I'm careful, mind you, to minimize the impact on the environment. Don't let the excess drain off into the sink, etc. I use Bayer's Tree & Shrub, 1 oz. per 1/2 gallon of water, watered into a plant with pests. Water slowly, a few ounces at a time, so that when the plant is ONLY showing signs of it coming out the drainage holes, you can stop watering. This minimizes the impact on the environment, while giving you some control over the hideous creatures... You can find it at Lowe's or HD.

Denise in Omaha
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mdahms1979
17 years ago
All I can say is don't wait to start treating the plants. In a pinch rubbing alcohol/water/dish soap will help as will plain liquid soap and water. Some pests like mealies are really tough to get rid of and often require a more aggressive approach. Coming from someone who does not use chemical insecticides anymore you need to be very diligent if using other methods and if using chemicals you need to fully educate yourself on their safe use and possible toxic effects on your health and the environment.

Mike
Denise
17 years ago
Yes, Mike makes a good point that I forgot to mention. If you are a "feeler" like me (I poke my finger in the soil to "feel" for dryness), you should be very cautious to not do so for a few waterings after you water with the chemical, then always be sure to wash your hands after watering plants as it does stay in the soil for some time. The skin can absorb toxins after all.

And a piece of advice, something I've learned from personal experience - keep your collection small enough that you can diligently check every plant every time you water it. If it's too much trouble to do this, your collection is probably too large for the time you have to take care of it. When mine got to the point that it was a "chore" to do this, I reduced my collection to where it was enjoyable again.

Denise in Omaha
coyle
17 years ago
Is this a big problem with hoyas? I'm in FL and just got some for outdoors but if they are going to attract bugs I will get rid of them. Thanks!
puglvr1
17 years ago
Coyle, I have a lot of hoyas outside and inside, I also live in FL. In my experience Hoyas are no more a magnet to bugs than any other outside plants I have. As a matter of fact a have a few gardenias, sago palms and hibiscus that seem to attract bugs more than anything. I am always spraying them for something...But again, this is my own experience with them, I'm sure everyone is different.

Give them a try...like you said if it becomes a problem get rid of them.