skip to main content

oh no, I just discovered my hoya has mealybugs, great, now what??

19 years ago

- I cant believe this, I gave it water last week and it looked all good then, Now, It has little piles of white dust over it, my book tells me it is mealybugs.

arrghh, I got a number of irises in there and a beautiful yellow hibiscus.

All I got In the terms of pestcontrol is abottle of schultz's insectspray, it is based on chrystamentum and I am not too sure it would be effective, I also have isopropyl alcohol.

Is that approrpiate to use?

I would prefer to stay off the crazy chemicals.

something that is commonly found would be great!

thanks!

klk

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

daisy_me
19 years ago
Check the post titled "Mealy Bugs...Help!". It has several treatments listed that hopefully will help you out. :-)
pirate_girl
19 years ago
Hi Kerstin,

I'm no expert in plant bugs, but I DO know mealies & they look like bits of white cottony fluff. White dust does not sound like mealies, rather maybe mildew. Is it on the soil or on the plant itself?
Related Discussions
Oh no, I'm too young to be a Great Grandmother
Q
Comments (8)
Alberta, How are you doing now? Has the initial shock warn off a bit? Try to look at it this way when it comes to you. Age is just a number, drum that in to your head about yourself. Then start thinking this way, I'm going to be a great grandmother and I'm only 62, Yup, only 62 and I can still enjoy having those littleones around me and teaching them plenty of things, especially gardening. Most great grandmothers are much older and don't really get the chance to enjoy their great grandchildren they way you will be able to. Congrats Fran
...See More
Oh no, I done LOVE my granite :(
Q
Comments (45)
I really like your granite---I think it is beautiful! I would not classify this slab as "busy." And I am a person who really, really shies away from the more, say, colorful, busy, overstated kitchens. The vast majority of kitchen pics in magazines and books that I tab are pretty classic and understated. My own kitchen will hopefully have creamy white cabinets, some type of granite with creams, brown and greys and/or black in it with no heavy striation, yellow oak floors (to match the rest of the house), and a very understated backsplash. I am marking this color in my file for future reference because I think it might be a good it. I don't think your slab is heavily striated at all--the darker color in there (it looks grey rather than black in your picture) is really not present in showy, loud streaks, hence the reason why I really like it.
...See More
I just discovered Fireclay Tile (gorgeous!) Has anyone used them?
Q
Comments (37)
Fireclay Tile is great -- I just moved from downtown San Jose (where their hq is located) and not only is the tile beautiful but the people in the showroom are so friendly. I'll have to look for photos to see if I have anything good --we used their tile on walls, floors, kitchen, bathrooms, laundry-- but we just sold that house so I might be out of luck. This was five years ago and their styles might have changed, but I'd say that if you like a very streamlined or modern look, e.g. rectified porcelain with tiny grout joints, it might not be your thing. Our old house was a 1919 Craftsman so it was a good fit. Glazes are beautiful and they have every color/finish under the sun. A lot of crazing which I love but I know others hate... If anyone's in the SF Bay Area and on a budget, I'd recommend stopping by because they also have a boneyard -- where you can get seconds and overruns for less than retail. Not as good a deal as it was 5 years ago but if you are open as to color and don't need all the trim pieces to match, you can score a deal -- I think they're selling first-quality overruns for something like $10/sq ft now. I had to forcibly stop myself from driving to the boneyard "just to look" when we finally finished our renovation. I'm so bummed I moved 45 minutes away. I got so many ideas just digging through the boneyard and browsing the showroom.
...See More
OH NO... I have the painting, but now everything is off..
Q
Comments (19)
Fantastic painting - I love it! My problem is more with the placement of the bar. It looks too jammed against the left opening - I'd centre on that wall, and then play around with the placement of the painting, either centre it over the bar, or put it off centre (probably to the left) and add a table lamp, vase with flowers, candle sticks, whatever you like to balance the right side. As far as not being centred around the light fixture - I would put that right out of my mind! Maybe because I have a situation in my d/r where the light isn't even centred over the table! Once in a while I look up and curse, but it 22 years here no one has ever said "Did you know your chandelier is off-centre???" So I would treat that wall as a separate entity, dress it as such, and just enjoy that painting.
...See More
Kerstin_Linnea
Original Author
19 years ago
Hep!
it is indeed mealybugs, I took a closer look and I certainly see little bugs, they are powdery white but has small legs, when I wipe with alcohol they become dirt yellow smudge...
the hoya is hanging in a small closet with a northern window- my husband just peeked over my shoulder, not east as I said before..
I have other plants in there for winterstorage, my hibiscus looks like it has a bit of 'spiderweb on it- I know it is a pest but do not know what the name is.
My irises that was delivered a bit too late to put in the ground last fall is in there too, One of them was filled with small lice. I sprayed it down with the chrystanmentum spray and it seemed like it did the job.

I decided To make a fast sweep of the houseplants and realize that the grape ivy too has white clusters
(stems , leaves, underleaves)
I look at the passiflora and detect a bit of spiderwebbing.
I move on to the bedroom and my hibiscus in there is too affected by webs
I am afraing to take down my green hoya...
ahmm.
went and bought isoprpyl at the pharmacist, could only find 71% / 90%
I got the lower number and diluted with water. now it's war!
any takes on dealing with the buggers in the soil?
should I start watering with soap?
can I use dishdetergent water?
which soaps to avoid???
thanks klk
*I don't know what systemic is but do not like the name, sounds like something I do not want in the house...*

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Discover Queen of the Prairie's Sweet Aroma

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

If you like the look of cotton candy and the smell of roses and want an easy perennial, you're in luck with this plant

DECORATING GUIDES Discover the Draw of Writing on the Walls

By Lisa Frederick

Let your freehand break free with write-on wallpaper, dry-erase paint and other design inventions that celebrate the scribble

DECORATING GUIDES Discover the Rug Type Everyone Wants

By Nicole White Designs Interiors LLC

You can clean them quickly. They come in every color and pattern imaginable. You can score one cheap. Say hello to flat-weave rugs

COMMUNITY Discover the Joy of Welcoming New Neighbors

By Alison Hodgson

Don't worry about a perfect presentation — a heartfelt note and a simple treat create a wonderful welcome to the neighborhood

ACCESSORIES Designs Worth Discovering: Rookwood Pottery Tile

By Becky Harris

Get to know the company that put American ceramics on the map in the 1880s to see why its tiles are newly popular today

DECORATING GUIDES Discover the Unstoppable Advantages of Cork for the Home

By Julia Pockett

Look beyond wine stoppers to see cork's ecofriendliness, durability, fire resistance and antimicrobial nature for all kinds of home products

DOORS Discover the Ins and Outs of Pocket Doors

By Natalie Myers

Get both sides of the pocket door story to figure out if it's the right space separator for your house

HOUZZ TOURS Discover a Hobbit House Fit for Bilbo Baggins

Part art studio, part guesthouse and all charm, this imaginative Colorado cottage looks like it grew right out of the earth

ARCHITECTURE Discover Modern Architecture's Appeal

By Spry Architecture

Do modernism's 'cold' expanses make you hot under the collar? This reasoning may change your mind

MATERIALS Discover the Bohemian Beauty of the Turkish Peshtemal

By Jess McBride

Lightweight and thin yet super absorbent, the traditional bathhouse towel finds uses throughout the house

Sponsored