skip to main content

Cacti & Succulents

alcohol on kalanchoe & aeoniums for mealy bug

15 years ago

Anybody know whether Kalanchoe beharensis or dinnerplate aeoniums will suffer leaf damage from being sprayed with alcohol? I've just noticed a dreaded infestation of mealy bugs on my gorgeous plants and need to take action swiftly.

THANKS!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

User
15 years ago
I don't know for sure but am guessing. My logic is based on knowing that these plants are both members of Crassulacae.

I think the Kalanchoe would be OK, but not sure of the Aeonium. What's Dinnerplate Aeonium? Is that a common name for A. tabulaeforme? If so, I wouldn't chance it, unless you know where to buy a replacement.

In the meantime check ALL your plants & segregate any infected plants to another room from the rest of the collection. Mealy can spread very fast, particularly among Crassulacae & Hoyas.
ErinMiller
Original Author
15 years ago
I think my aeoniums are a different variation than a. tabulaeforme, but can't be sure because the nursery where I bought them about 9 months ago REFUSES to put labels on its plants because it's too much money! Insane, but they have gorgeous plants, so I keep going back. I bought six 5 gal of these plants which have 6 to 10 inch green leaves with deep purplish red edges that form rosettes that look like 12 to 18 inch wide flat dinner plates on 24 to 40" trunks. The leaves are much bigger than tabulaeforme, more like Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop' but with much more green. The guy selling them said he thought they were "black beauty dinner plate" aeonium. But googling those names led to two very different species.
I live in an apartment at the beach, so all of the plants are outside in four 48" wide, 16" deep, 16" all custom window boxes with lots of sun and circulation. All my house plants are unaffected and I don't water with the same hose or anything else to pass the bugs. But every box has the mealy bugs starting...there's a neighbor upwind across the street which has phormium with a massive infection, so I'm guessing wind-blown to me..
Related Discussions
Mealies for all to see
Q
Comments (4)
The likelihood of a plant sustaining insect attack, as Mentha mentioned, is dramatically affected by the plants state of vitality. It takes energy for a plant to resist insects. In late winter, we often see more insect problems because of the stress recent months of low light, low humidity, and often - accumulating salts in soil. The latter is, in my estimation, a much more common and serious problem than most of us recognize. From an old post: When insects attacksize> (sounds like it would make a good TV show) ;o) ..... ..... plants mount a number of genetically encoded responses to wounding, ALL of which require energy allocation. In plant cells, there are genes that control proteins functioning in actual defense, sending defense signals/ chemical messengers, altering metabolism, controlling cellular maintenance, and regulating photosynthesis - and many more genes of unknown function. In short, plant energy reallocation is prioritized in the plant's own defense, & other things, like every day metabolism and photosynthesis are put on the back burner. When wounding occurs (insect attack) there is a "wound response" that occurs both at the site of injury as well as distally (in other plant parts away from the wound). Plants can even differentiate between the wounds of a pin and those of insects, and react in different fashion to the "attack". Without getting more technical, the plant produces various anti-feedants, anti-metabolites, and toxins that make the insects feel pretty unwelcome - as long as the plant is in good vitality, which means growing strongly, or has high energy reserves - IOW, as long as the plant is in good health. The speed with which the response occurs, and the effectiveness of the defense response are also both energy driven, so it should be no surprise that plants grown indoors under constant stress are highly susceptible to insect marauders. If you want to keep the bugs away - it sort of goes w/o saying that your first line of defense should not be to reach for a systemic or other harsh poison, but to keep your plants growing with as much vitality as possible as a preventive measure, which is a cultural - not a chemical thing. When problems do arise, first use an innocuous remedy like the alcohol Mentha suggests - or hort oils, neem oil ..... Al
...See More
mealy bugs????
Q
Comments (11)
The difficult thing about controlling mealy bugs is finding all of the egg stashes that the adults lay, sometimes quite far from the spot where you find the actual infestation. No chemical will kill the unhatched eggs. You have to be very diligent and treat every 7 - 10 days to kill the newly hatched young before they mature and start laying eggs of their own. Eventually, you'll deplete the eggs and be rid of the buggers, but it will take a while. I would treat with Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub (BATS), but you have to treat EVERY plant you have. Also, remember that the active ingredient in BATS, Imidacloprid, does not move into the flowers or fruit of a plant so you need to remove all of the flowers and fruit or the mealies will continue to multiply. One other important point is that you need to quarantine every plant you receive for at least 8 weeks, plus treating it before you move it into your collection. You may not see any bugs on the plant, but they can certainly be there and if they are, you have to start all over again. Once you get rid of the mealies, it's best to not acquire any more plants after that. (not realistic, but the best way to guard against future bug infestations.
...See More
Mealy Bug help!
Q
Comments (19)
Jo Jo this is a reply to your question, I have been ridiculed by people here so must be careful what I say. Jojo you may email me privately. I am going to say it again, and stick my chin out. I have used diatomaceous earth about 1/2 tsp per small 4" square pot, dont sprinkle on top, the mealies arn't there. I just mix it into a batch of soil, and mix it well. If you water regularly you won't get mealies. They like dried up roots, they do not like moisture. D. earth cuts them, and they will not X it. Now all of you who are laughing, don't come to me when you geting mealies in your pots. You can't find this in feed stores, it is a horticultural product. I think most nurseries will have it even in the eastern states. soapy water is a fix for the leaves, or an alcohol spray 50 -50 don't use so much that it will burn the plants and wait five minutes, then water off, so spray before you plan to water. I have used 409 in my Hoya House, it stopped them cold ants have never returned there. I have used left over Vodka diluted of course. I have used Windex it works, diluted. Soap and Water with a little oil is the safest, 'Safer's Soap' for the top of succulents and on ants, but not on cactus. Neem oil, for white fly, top and bottom of every leaf, they never returned for the past 8 years. That was my job at the Huntington one week. Some one had to do it. I just wonder how many more house hold products the rest of you can come up with? I'm not going to proof this and you can laugh all you want. Sorry, Jo Jo this is for you. I have a stymetic that can be used as well, but I don't like to do it. It goes in through our water system straight into the ocean. It kills all the fish that used to be in the Los Angeles River on the way down to the sea. Norma
...See More
Mealy bug question
Q
Comments (11)
Sarah, I forgot to add. Ants farm meallies and other bugs that suck the "juice" from plants. I guess their urine is sweet. I know it's gross, but it's what they do. I'm sure you've seen how far and quick ants can move. I just was reminded of this because I was looking at one of my newer purchases, and there they were ants. I don't see any meallies at this time, but I'm sure they're there somewhere. Little jerks on a mission to ruin my plants! The pics you can find on the interweb;).
...See More
ltecato
15 years ago
I've never sprayed alcohol, but I have used it to kill mealybugs by applying it to the individual bugs with a cotton swab. It's never caused any serious damage that way, but spraying I'm not sure about. Are you going to dilute it in water a bit? Pure alcohol is a pretty volatile solvent.

The aeonium would probably survive because the leaves are like rubber. The alcohol would quickly evaporate or run off. The K. beharensis might not fare so well because those fuzzy leaves are a lot more spongy. The alcohol would take a lot longer to go away, meaning it would have more time to soak into the leaves and do damage.

If you've sprayed alcohol on succulents before without killing them or turning them ugly, I'd say go ahead with the aeonium but be careful with the kalanchoe. But mealybugs are a plague and obviously you should act quickly to get rid of them.
User
15 years ago
Sorry, I didn't catch the part about spraying them. I've dabbed 'em off w/ pure alcohol, never sprayed it. I too would not do that & agree w/ ltecato. I hadn't thought abt K beharensis being fuzzy, I see his point & tend to agree.

What abt something like Neem Oil or Bayer Shrub & ____, neither of which I've used but have heard of other folks using well. Or, a systemic, I've used Marathon w/ great success on indoor plants (my Hoyas), never had the mealies come back. (I don't know what phormium is, nwever saw the name before.)

I asked abt the Aeonium tabulaeforme 'cause in some cases its rosette lies horizontal, that is perpendicular to the stem & don't think in that case it would drain too well from any application of anything.

As to IDing the Aeonium, maybe check Desert-tropicals. com.

Never heard this biz of plant tags being too expensive. offer to pay for it if you like these folks plants, that's one of the lamest stories I've ever heard in easily 10 yrs. of growing succulents.

At least you've tried to get them to give you the names, i't'd been nice if they could be adult abt it & give you REAL names.

Sorry to rant, but I'm amazed that they have great plants & such a juvenile stance abt tags & proper botanical names. Then again, I guess that's preferable to great names & crappy plants!
wondernugget
15 years ago
I have no experience with mealy bugs.
Have you tried spraying with a very dilute soap (non-detergent) and water solution? According to my biologist buddy at work bugs have oils on their skin/shell that keeps the water from getting into the small holes in the shells that they need for breathing and heat dissapation. The soap washes off the oil, allowing the water into the holes thus drowning them. He said it should work on just about any bug but I know it has worked for me with spider mites. I just went to town indiscriminately spraying the entire plant and whatever it was potted in. Spraying them with water 1st also helps. You should also plan on repeating the treatment in another week just to make sure the next generation dies and then again a week after that.
Hope this helps.

0

Sponsored

Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers

49 Reviews

Columbus Area's Luxury Design Build Firm | 17x Best of Houzz Winner!

More Discussions

I need your help to improve this jade plant. (My first jade!)

31

Can I trim this plant?

1

ID this cactus please?

8

Easter Cacti in bloom

4

Jade in Need of Help

4