Hi Calvin,
Are they mealy bugs? If so, probably pitching the Sarracenia is the best thing to do. Did you recently purchase it?

Best,
Ross

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:562730}}

so what should i do? what u mean by pitching the pitcher plant? thanks alot. damn bugs..

Malathion, dimethoate (Rogor) or acephate (Orthene) are effective at controlling mealy bug and are tolerated by Sarracenia. They aren't particularly user friendly chemicals to deal with so, if you're going to use them, follow the directions and safety advice on the container. Dimethoate and acephate are systemic and may be the more effective choice. You may need to treat several times and treat the plants surrounding the infested plant to get it under control (move any Drosera, Pinguicula, etc out of the area while you're treating the other plants and keep an eye on them).

Hi Calvin,
I agree with Corymbosa's recommendations.

What I meant by pitching the plant is throwing it in the trash. Often a single plant with mealies can quickly infect the rest of your plants.

In Schnell's Book, he recommends the Acephate mentioned above. He says that the mealies often live below the surface as well as above, so remove the plant from the pot and discard old potting mix in the trash. Rinse away all leftover mix and as many of the bugs as you can into a safe area (down the drain or in a street?). Then spray the roots and rhizome, as well as the pitchers with the Acephate. Repot in fresh medium, and respray the plant in 10 days.

I would also spray again 2 weeks after that.

Apparently, mealies often get to Sarracenia from succulents in your collection, Or they come in from plants extracted from the wild :-( especially savanna plants.

Good Luck!

Best,
Ross

does it work on aphids

Yes, but it's overkill. I'll usually use "milder" pesticides, like pyrethrins, for aphids, thrips etc and save the organophosphates for tougher pests like mealy bugs, scale and spider mites.

i can never see the aphids on the plants but i find malformed leaves and aphids in the soil. could i spray it on the spagnum without killing it. also i realy dont want to throw the moss away. onemore thing. could i use it on sundews.

I find they tend to burn live sphagnum. I can only get hold of them as liquids, so it may be the organic solvent that kills the sphagnum rather than the organophosphate itself. Live Sphagnum seems to be sensitive to most things you're inclined to spray on it so most pesticides are probably out of the question. At least with a systemic insecticide the whole plant is poisoned so the pests can't feed on the plants without being killed. Have you tried submersing the pot & plant in water for a day or two to drown the aphids.

no i havent