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African Violets

Mealy Bugs .....Help Please ..............

18 years ago

Hello Everyone !

One of my African violets ( I have 2 ) has picked up mealy bugs from some aloe plants that I have and did not realize were carrying them until it was too late .

I know that African Violet leaves are prone to spotting and water damage easily, so how exactly does one get rid of the mealy bugs without damaging/destroying the plant ?

Or do I simply need to chuck the plant and be more careful in the future ?

Many Thanks !

Jay

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Comments (3)

korina
18 years ago
Jay, if you only have a few bugs, pick them off and go 'squish!' with an evil laugh. You can also bathe them, if you like; turn the kitchen faucet on low pressure and **TEPID** temp. Tilt the pot so the outer leaves get washed. Any water in the crown can be sopped up with a tissue.

If you have a true infestation, good ol' rubbing alcohol should do the trick. Lightly spritz one leaf to make sure it doesn't burn (didn't hurt any of my minis), then hit the whole plant, including in towards the stem, where they like to hide. You will have to keep it up for a while as the new ones hatch from the soil, but eventually you will win. One warning, and I'm speaking from experience here; never EVER spray anything with alcohol and then enclose it. ALWAYS let it dry thoroughly first.

Good luck.

Korina
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greenjay
Original Author
18 years ago
Thank You Korina !
I was very close to just pitching the plant in my compost pile . I seem to only have a few mealies on the plant which came from some Aloes that I summered over on my front porch .
I'll try the methods that you suggested .
Many Thanks Again!
Jay
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cometgirl_2006
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Hi:

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Thank You
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