Will need a pic to id the critters.

tj

Ya, those are mealies. They must be coming back from some place that the isopropyl alcohol doesn't reach.

OK, I'll try to spray around the bases, under a bit. I've heard of soil mealies but have no idea how they "work." Maybe I just need to unpot, spray the cracks and crevices and use fresh potting soil if the problem continues?

Mealies under the surface of the potting mix attack the roots and get their plant juices from there. Mealies can get between the interior pot wall and the potting mix. If that is where they are hiding you can often just unpot the root ball and you will see their fuzz that they seem to leave behind everywhere they go. Though, in some odd cases I've found them in the potting mix. If it were my plant, and I were battling a persistent infestation, I'd do a couple applications of a systemic insecticide like imidacloprid about a month apart. Though, I understand not everyone will want to use something like that. Really, I think isopropyl alcohol is much easier on the environment by comparison.

I'd use plain 70% isopropyl alcohol which is a strength typically sold in a bottle. The bottle should tell you the concentration some place on the label. Really, though, you ought to test it on a part of the plant before applying it everywhere. Different plants can react differently and I don't think there is one strength that is safely applicable to all. Don't treat the plant while it is in sunlight. Actually, you might like to have a look at this thread. Read not just the opening post but the follow up posts, too.

Very interesting. I have hurt plants with alcohol. These seem ok so far, but I think I'll dilute it a bit before spraying again. If the bugs persist after a few more days, I guess I'll just have to take cuttings, spray the cuttings and reset with fresh mix and scrubbed out pot. They don't all seem affected but maybe they have insects lurking in the unseen places.

I cut all the pups off (9 nice ones) and soaked them in a diluted alcohol bath. Two or 3 of them still had the mealies after the bath. Does alcohol even work?

Oddly, mother plant seems unaffected so far, so I'll pot her up with fresh mix. Maybe the mealies prefer the younger, tenderer growth. I'm thinking you are right about tossing the pups.

Has anyone considered using diatomaceous earth (DE) on mealies? I expect mealies would have a hard time surviving on a plant that is dusted with DE. It might be a longer lasting and more persistent deterrent to infestation than isoproply alcohol.

Alcohol only damages when the plant is sprayed onto it in the sunlight. Doing this in shade removes the possibility of burn.

You can use soapy water, neem or insecticidal soap as well. You will need to do this in shade also. Rinse the soap, neem, etc off, let dry then reacclimate to sun.

For this plant:

Depot, remove as much soil as possible from the roots, spray the whole plant and roots with rubbing alcohol and keep in the shade until dry. Toss out the old soil (it has mealies and their eggs in it). Use soapy water to wash the pot. Repot the plant with fresh soil when dry. Check once a week for signs of reinfestation.