I have no experience with that. But I had also been battling pests all last winter (mites) and used isopropyl alcohol too. it kept their numbers down but never wiped them out.

thats a lot of work as one of my ficus Benjamina's is 7 feet tall with hundreds of leaves. Spraying weekly and trying to cover every leaf, stem, etc just isn't practical.

This year before I brought them all inside, I did multiple thorough sprayings with Bayer 3 in 1 insect disease and mite control (the bottle that hooks up to your hose).

it worked. I haven't had a single pest since they've been inside since mid October.

No mites, no gnats, nothing. My life is so much easier.

I'll be using that from now on.

I hadn't considered tobacco's toxicity, but you raised a good point, gardengal. Dave, I've seen photos of your ficus Benjamina and it is beautiful - I'm only dealing with pests on small plants, I can't imagine dealing with it on such a lush plant with so many leaves.

So it sounds like tobacco sprays are generally not a good option. (Now that I think about it, I imagine it must be quite stinky as well.) I'm still hoping to avoid having to use a systemic, mostly because a couple of my affected plants are herb plants. Maybe my best bet will be to wait for spring, bring the plants outdoors and set some ladybugs loose on them.

Jaycee,

sounds like you don't need the Bayer 3 in 1 that I used.

and yes, battling mites on a tree with that many leaves ALL winter last year was quite the chore!

I would have loved more organic methods, but in my situation, they just weren't practical. I tried neem oil too with 0 results.

I hope you find the right product for you and your plants.

I think soaking cigars and such nicotine concoctions are hazardous to your health and are something to avoid.

Bayer 3-in-1 is extremely effective against mealybugs if you are really struggling badly. As you know, please take care to use responsibly to avoid environmental damage: don't leave treated flowering plants outside, etc.

Perhaps your sanity is worth it. Just follow all the instructions and safety precautions on the label. =)

Bayer 3-in-1 is also quite effective against mites, but make sure to rotate between other miticides with different Modes of Action to prevent the development of pesticide-resistant mites. Important to note that it is the tau-fluvalinate that kills the mites and is not systemic. Using this in conjunction with a translaminar like Avid makes taking care of spider mites a breeze. Both work on Eriophyid and Tarsonemid mites too.

Never tried tobbaco for mealy bugs. I have used neem oil for mealybugs and it was successful. You can see details here.

http://www.tropicalorganicgarden.com/success-with-neem-oil-mealybug-attack-to-mangoes/

There are some more organic pesticides you can use as well like soap spray hot pepper spray etc.

http://www.tropicalorganicgarden.com/organic-sprays-for-pest-control-in-your-tropical-organic-garden/ 

I use Bayer 3 in 1 for mites because conventional insecticides will not kill them but for mealies I've found Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control to be just as effective for killing insects, with less of a residual and it doesn't tear up my sinuses and make me ill like Bayer does. The granules are also much smaller so they soak into the soil and you end up using quite a bit less.

As for using tobacco, It's been a long used insecticide, it has even been used for hundreds of years as an internal wormer for dogs and ruminant animals. I used to give a cigarette to each of my goats once a month when I had them. I would get a tobacco that does not have added chemicals (yes they do exist) or a chewing tobacco instead of cigarettes for an insecticide though, if you must use tobacco.

Mentha, do you wear a mask or any type of protection when using the 3 in 1?

When I use it, I wait a week before bringing anything back inside and also hose them down with water a few times.

I am extra sensitive to any scents. I can smell it months after application. Some even cause me to swell if I come in close contact with it. Try shopping during the holidays when every woman and man on the planet is wearing a gallon of perfume. I am literally ill every time I leave the house.

Anecdotal, just one old coot's experience: My grandmother grew her own chewing tobacco. We're talking about 1944 perhaps. I don't know what she did before or after the war. She would carry around and old coffee can and spit in it and dilute it and sprinkle it upon vegetables that had insect problems.

Mentha,

That sounds terible. I'm sorry you have to deal with that.

Mentha,

Off thread, but on topic. Fragrance issues are becoming more & more common. They cost me a job abt 10 yrs. ago; yet I won the unemployment on appeal, twice! Researching this topic, I discovered that it's a big issue on Canada. They've made their hospitals all fragrance free, so if you're a vendor selling to their hospitals, all your products have to be scent free.

The bldg management of the bldg where I work decided to fragrance the bldg lobby! I had to look up OSHA regs & go to my boss immediately on learning this. Happily, some tenants objected & the topic was dropped. Seems this is a 'desirable' perk among some hotels & resorts (yikes).

There's a prominent shopping center in mid-Manhattan can't even ENTER 'cause of the smells coming from the Sephora shop. I WISH it were only at holiday time -- ACKKKK.

I feel ya Mentha, it stinks (pun intended)!

Lena / Karen

http://www.tropicalorganicgarden.com/how-to-use-tobacco-as-a-pesticide-in-organic-gardening/