Hoyas are TOUGH cookies!

9 years ago

About 10 days ago, I found a Hoya carnosa on the top shelf in my GH and it had mealybugs on it. I was seriously aggravated and, since I have plenty of carnosa, I just plucked it down and put it on my back porch, willing to let it croak rather than mess with those hideous things. We've had nights down to almost freezing (33 was the lowest) and most nights down to 40 or so. A LOT of rain, days into the 50s if we're lucky. Checked on it this morning and it looks happy as a clam! All fattened up, leaves as green as can be, mealies all gone. It never ceases to amaze me how hearty Hoyas are!

Denise in Omaha

Featured Answer

Greenthumb

9 years ago

Hi Denise,

I'd be a little cautious in declaring that the mealybugs are gone just yet. I would check the top shelf in your GH and maybe wipe down the shelves with a mix of alcohol, water and soap (recipe below). Just a suggestion... :)

When I moved many years ago, I had to disassemble a couple of wooden plant stands that I had constructed and it was no wonder that I could never get rid of the mealybugs; there were masses of the cottony mealybug egg cases anywhere that one board butted up against another board. That explained why I could never get rid of the mealybugs; it's because the mealybugs move off of the plant and lay egg cases everywhere, I suppose as a defense against some predator taking out the mealybug colony?

I replaced all of my wooden shelves with metal shelving and I now grow all of my plants in flats with a one inch band or strip of Vaseline spread around the top of the flats. So far, plants grown in this way are mealybug free.

I also did almost completely get rid of my entire plant collection and I sprayed everything I kept every 7 days with a mix of 16 oz. 70% rubbing alcohol, 16 oz. tap water and 1 to 2 tsp. of Ivory Dish Washing liquid, that was put in a manual spray bottle. Eventually all of the eggs will hatch out and as long as I sprayed every 7 days to kill any new hatchlings, no mealybugs grew to maturity to lay any more egg cases.

It's been almost a year and for the first time I can say that I am bug-free. (knock on wood a million times).

Hopefully, this will help others that cannot figure out why they can never get rid of the mealybugs.

Mike

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Comments (7)

Monica bf N. Carolina zone 7B
9 years ago
That's great Denise. I guess it's true that Hoyas thrive on neglect. :-)

I need to stop caring sooo much! lol
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Denise
Original Author
9 years ago
Trust me, Mike, once you have them, you never, ever get rid of them completely! I had a period of time when I hadn't seen them and was boasting to a grower with a commercial GH about having overcome them... He said, "Go home and look under the lips of your plastic hanging pots..." I did, and sure enough, I found white tufts... Oh, I was so disgusted that they had gotten the better of me!! LOL! It's a battle for sure. I'm just sayin'... watch for those little beeyatches even if you think you've gotten the better of them!!

Denise in Omaha
tom_d1026
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hoyas are a lot hardier than people give hem credit for. Certain ones at least. Imperialis is a different story. And damn mealies! It's true they never go away. I had to cut down two 9'+ night blooming jasmines because of mealy infestation. I still squash a stray one here and there and I'm just waiting for the day they come back in full force. I wait in fear haha.
Greenthumb
9 years ago
I'm keeping my fingers crossed! So far, so good. Since the weather has warmed up a bit I'm starting to buy a few new Hoyas and I have definitely learned that you must ISOLATE a new plant for at least 2 months before it can go and "mingle" with the rest of the plants. :o)
Monica bf N. Carolina zone 7B
9 years ago
2 months? Uh oh, I haven't been isolating for that long. I hope I don't run into any issues.
gillianbryan
9 years ago
Last night found them inside of green plastic plant clips - none visible on plants but hiding in the clips!!! I keep a large spray bottle of 70% alcohol right by my collection and spray at the slightest hint of a mealy. All clips went through the dishwasher whether they needed it or not.