Fortunately, I only had the one plant with mealies which I was able to take care of. I have been spraying all of my violets with neem oil since then. I havent had any problems with it other than the smell. I do agree with Irina that it resembles a rotten onion smell. As for the effectiveness of neem oil, I can only assume it is doing a good job at this point since I havent noticed any other bugs. I have only been using it for a month so time will tell. Julie, I have never used the Purelec pots or any other pots with a water gauge. For my smaller starter plants, I just use solo cups with holes slit in the bottom and set in a tray of water. For larger plants, I just use regular plastic pots with drainage holes and set them in an tray of water as well. It is a gamble doing community watering but with so many plants, it is a risk I am willing to take. If I were to individually water each plant it would probably take me an hour. Doing it this way takes me about 5 minutes a week. Aside from the time factor, I also hate to pay those steep prices for the fancy pots. If you want a cheap alternative, you can go to walmart or dollar store and find many clear glass pots, candle holders, etc. for a couple bucks. You can easily see the water line through the glass and physan 20 controls the algae well. Rambler

It appears that the reference that I gave about the problems of wood mulches and the advantage of compost could use some backing up by more primary scientific material. The link below is to an Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet, Plant Pathology, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210 Title: "Control of Nuisance and Detrimental Molds (Fungi) in Mulches and Composts" Please note the following and put in context of the full article (also note the appearance of statements such as "These bacteria compete with fungi to reduce the potential for the development of major mold problems.") "The best way to avoid all these problems and bring about beneficial effects by mulching is to add nitrogen to woody and hardwood bark products followed by composting to lower the carbon to nitrogen ratio. Blending of grass clippings with wood wastes before composting is one way to achieve this. Addition of poultry manure or urea to supply 1.2 lbs. available nitrogen per cubic yard of material satisfies the nitrogen need also. Some landscapers add 10-15% by volume composted sewage sludge to hardwood bark or wood wastes, and this makes an ideal product that has performed very well in landscapes. These amended products should be composted at least six weeks. This process kills plant pathogens, eggs of insect pests, and produces a nitrified product that releases plant nutrients rather than ties up nitrogen. As mentioned above, the microorganisms that have colonized these products reduce the potential for growth of nuisance fungi and provide control of many plant diseases" "What to Do Once the Problems Occur Sometimes very little can be done to control nuisance fungi other than to spade the mulch into the surface soil layer followed by soaking with water. Another option is to remove the mulch, place it in a heap after thorough wetting to allow for self-heating to occur (110-140 degrees F). This will kill nuisance fungi. If fresh dry mulch is placed on top of mulch colonized by nuisance fungi, the problems may occur again the following year or even earlier. The best control strategy for homeowners and landscapers is to purchase composted products low in wood content. Fresh, finely ground woody products should be avoided for many reasons unless composted first. Coarse fresh woody products are much less likely to cause problems unless applied too deep. It is important to soak all mulches immediately after they have been applied. Generally, mulches should not be applied to a depth greater than two inches. Mulches and composts applied in this manner provide many types of beneficial effects rather than nuisance problems, or worse, plant diseases. Sour mulches should be avoided altogether." Here is a link that might be useful: link for above

Yep!!! It is definitely mealy bugs. In addition to the insecticidal soap, daily washings under the water hose, kitchen sink sprayer or whatever you have handy to wash it with will help to remove them from your plant. Again, I can't stress persistence as one of the keys to getting rid of this pest, because they are so persistent themselves. Additionally, you might want to isolate your plant from the rest of your plants to prevent spreading. Good Luck, Ms. Faith

Mealies have to be the most difficult pest to deal with. The adults can lay eggs on almost anything, furniture, walls, pots, any place they can hide. The young are mobile and can then go in search of plants to feed on. You can completely clean a plant only to find mealies again the next time you look. There are lure traps that are designed to catch the flying male mealy bugs so that there is a limited reproductive population. I have not tried these traps yet but they would be worth a try. I have been fighting a problem with these pests for a while. First I alternated between alcohol and neem which work well but in the end I have had to get a systemic insecticide. The insecticide has not even been able to handle the mealies and I am hoping that they are not already resistant to it. I have seen improvement but the mealies always come back although the plants seem less affected and are growing well. I think Denise's approach is the best to take, inspect your plants often and keep some alcohol handy to spot treat any insects you see. Check under clips, on pots and in the general area where you grow your plants. There are lady bird beetles that specifically prey on mealy bugs but they are best used in an enclosed greenhouse. Mike Here is a link that might be useful: Some info on mealy bugs