mealy bugs in succulents planted in ground

9 years ago

I have a yard full, perhaps 200 succulents and cacti, most are planted in the ground, some in pots. I have been finding plant after plant infested with what I have read are mealy bugs. I'm in San Diego. I see is white gunk in the center of rosets, where leaves attach to the stem and also black and brown scarring of the leaves which may or may not be related. It's often hard to tell at the beginning of a plant infestation because it can look similar to the granular pumice stone I mix in the soil. Not every plant appears infested yet, but who knows what is lurking under the dirt. Also succulents are slow to show problems. My yard has ants that I try to keep under control but it's not easy. Also many spiders, black and brown widows. What can I use? Do I have to TRASH my PLANTS? DO I have to TRASH the DIRT too? It's getting exhausting to wash each plant one at a time with water, dishwasher soap and rubbing alcohol, only to find the problem comes back a week later. I have been trashing the roots (beheading) when I find this, since I cannot see if it is in the roots. Help please, the nurseries don't know what else to recommend. Also, I don't want to kill one pest only to invite a new one. Thank you.

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Comments (7)

nil13
9 years ago
Whenever you have a nasty infestation, you have to go all in and hit them on multiple fronts. Spraying all the plants with a contact killer will knock the population back severely right from the start. Then use a systemic to provide a longer term control. So you could spray with say pyrethrum or beta-cyflurin for the contact a, imidicloprid for the systemic.
AnnaBchill
Original Author
9 years ago
Nil13, thank you,
I pulled out the plants in the sections that were clearly affected. Is it better to get rid of the dirt in those sections? Or, better to treat dirt with Imidacloprid for the sake of adjacent plants that may still have mealy bugs that are not yet visible? I really appreciate your input! thanks!

I'm just aware of how insecticides kill the good bugs with the bad. I'd say 40-50% of my plants are affected, so maybe that's gone too far to hope that removing dirt could save the rest. - Anna
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Usually the alcohol works for me. But if it has been a bigger infestation, I use the soapy wash (don't forget to rinse it all off!) followed by alcohol a couple of days later. Last resort is using a drench of Bayer Tree and Shrub - but not if it is flowering or bees might visit. When I use the alcohol, I spray every few days to try to get the 'hatchlings.' Here's a thread from my latest big infestation. There are some good suggestions from several folks. http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3893845/arrrg-mealybugs?n=12 At the risk of being Captain Obvious, it's much easier to treat them if you catch it early. Dab the first one you see with a Q-tip dipped in alcohol, look for his friends and spray everything, including the stems. Good luck! It takes perseverance, but I'm sure you'll knock them back.
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nil13
9 years ago
I would never remove soil because of mealybugs. I can't think of any insect that would necessitate that. Don't worry about treating bare ground. The systemic in the treated plants will protect them from migrants.

Yes, those contact pesticides are indiscriminate which is why you don't spray them willy nilly all the time. But occassionally things get out of hand.

You may also have a bunch of ants farming those mealybugs. You'll want to get tem under control with a bunch of ant traps, too.
AnnaBchill
Original Author
9 years ago
Nil,
thank you for your follow-up. I am going ahead with your suggestion and really appreciate it. you are not kidding about the ants, it's been a problem for the 14 years we've been in this house, crazy amount of ants. in fact, aunt traps have not been enough although I recently got a suggestion to use Monterey garden insect spray with Spinosad for ants, what an arsenal I am going to have, Eesh!

good thing I'm not growing food, in fact these are the reasons I am not growing food. (bugs and squirrels). Earth out of blance.
nil13
9 years ago
What I do for ants is setup a minefield of traps with homemade boric acid bait. I make the traps out of small babyfood containers. I poke some holes in the top so the ants can get in and then put them everywhere. A 2% boric acid solution will do the trick. The syrup for the bait is 1 sugar : 4 water. I also use meat babyfood and mix the boric acid into that because sometimes the ants go for protein over sugar. I like baits over spraying large areas because it targets just the ants.
Crenda 10A SW FL
9 years ago
Hey, Nil13! I really like your idea for the protein bait! I use the same sugar bait you mentioned, but at certain times of the year they won't touch it. Thanks for the tip!
AnnaBchill
Original Author
9 years ago
Nil,
Thank you again for the ant bait solution. Not knowing this trick. I've had boric acid lining the cracks of windows and doors. Then store bought aunt traps and the ants just laughed at me. I've heard of mixing sugar & water with the boric acid but not about putting it in baby food jars. brilliant. Do you mix the sugar water/boric acid with the protein baby food? Or do you make some with sugar and separate ones with protein?

In the baby food jars, can you see what you've caught? The store ant baits are black so I never know if they had any effect.

How long is the bait good for?
Sorry for all my questions, I'm just such a newbie at this.
Anna

mealy bugs in succulents planted in ground

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nil13

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mealy bugs in succulents planted in ground

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