Control of root mealies?

10 years ago

I was just repotting year-old schizobasis seedlings and ran into one community pot that was thoroughly infested with root mealies. The first time I encountered these years ago, it took a while to determine what they were, and I was able to eradicate them wit out much trouble.

I unpotted this in the bathtub, wrapped/disposed of the infected soil, and washed all the soil off the roots. I'll apply a systemic insecticide to the 1cm bulbs a couple of days before repotting them into clear cups. (The clear cups are great--punch holes in the bottom, they're cheap, and you can really see what's going on in the soil.) So far, I haven't encountered any more infected pots.

I guess my question is: why did these pests reappear after all these years? If they came from somewhere in my home, just how long can they survive if they were somehow 'hiding' in the basement, which is where potting supplies are stored, and can get down to 32° in winter?

Comments or personal experiences?

Thanks,

Rick in CT

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Comments (3)

kimmq
10 years ago
The adults that lay the eggs that become the larva you saw are flying around all summer long. These adults are very small, whitish, moth like thingys that flit around.

The control program you used is probably the best method there is.

kimmq is kimmsr
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
10 years ago
Not true, kimmsr.

Female mealies never fly, though the few males that hatch from their eggs do. Those males would not likely to be described as moth but rather a gnat or even a small fly. Only males of certain species are white.

The young are called nymphs and are called crawlers, just like their close relatives, the scale insects. It is in this developmental stage that the crawlers are able to spread from plant to plant, from one part of the garden/greenhouse/garden center/home to another.

redbeard, I'm sorry that you've been reinfested with these troublesome pests. If you still have some of the original plants in your collection, I would guess that you've been unknowingly harboring a population all this time. Possible?

They cannot live in potting supplies, potting medium, or in the nooks and crannies of your basement. Mealybugs require live plants.

Have you introduced new plants into your home, from an outside source? Perhaps your favorite garden center is the source of the problem.
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rredbbeard
Original Author
10 years ago
I swap seeds semi-often and sometimes plants, although this current infestation seems to have infected only the 1 pot of schizobasis that I started from seed. Since I'm in the process of repotting, I'll be that much more attentive to inspecting root balls as they come out of the pot. The infested pot was under lights, so that setup will be totally emptied and cleaned, and the pots that were closest get inspected today. The setup will be empty at least until September.

As I mentioned, the clear plastic cocktail cups are perfect as pots if you put a hole or 2 in the bottom--I use a soldering iron. In the previous infestation, the clear plastic showed the insects before they really got established.

Well, now I have a better understanding of the life cycle, thank you!

While we're on the subject of parasites, I'm wondering if anyone has ever used a flea bomb to combat scale infestations? I flea bombed my house years ago, and was surprised that it seemed effective. I'm guessing the gas would kill waxy adults and eggs alike. Would an IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) be effective at all, at least in controlling crawlers?

Maybe a topic for another thread....

Thanks,

Rick