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Pest help needed, tried systemic insecticide.

  • #21
I'd put it by a window in another room until the problem was solved.

xvart.
 
  • #22
Im gona throw my 2 cents worth in here guys, over the many many yrs of getting diffrent pests not only on reptiles that came in rescue but also on plants and such the one method i have used over the many yrs has always been what worked for me no matter how tiny or hard the pest was to get rid of, no spraying with insectisides and the like. Heres what ya do, if the plant you have is say to large to isolate per say cant get it into a big bucket or terrarium, you can use a garbage bag as a tent for over the plant, smaller plants use the bucket or terraium to set them in for isolation, this will take 2 to 3 days to work. If using a terrarium or bucket make sure to cover the top completly, if using the garbage bag tent make sure to prop it up so as not to come in contact with the plant while its over the plant and then tape shut on the bottom where its around the pot. Now you need a STRONG no pest strip, not the cheap crap find the best one on the market, not the kind ya hang thats sticky tape, its the kind thats yellow blocky pad and comes in a hanger dealy, make sure to wear gloves and open that package and make sure your in a airy room, garage, outside, cut the yellow strip into pieces, so you can use diffrent ones for diffrent plants and or keep it whole for a whole collection of plants, place into nylon, the kid women use "pantyhose".. tie it off and then hang it or place laying on the edge of the pot for those that think they have pests in the potting soil, dont let it get soggy wet as it will lose its potentcy, humidity wont hurt it much, it wont hurt the plants as long as they dont come into direct contact with it per say rubbing it on the plants ect. ect. After treating for said amount of time check your plants if they look clean or bugs are dead on the plants mist off the dead bugs to clean off the plant, if there still there and active which most likely they will be dead but just incase retreat for 2 more days. After your done with treatment throw away the piece of no pest strip make sure to dispose of it properly. Left over pieces that you have cut wrap them up in aluminum foil then bag up in zip lock baggie and store in a drak cool place for future use. You can retreat again in 10 days.
Just my 2 cents worth, has never failed me for all sorts plants and or reptiles that have come in with mites, ticks ect. ect.

To me constant drenching so to speak with chemicals is not good for anything in my book..
 
  • #23
you could try an ant colony lol. I am pretty sure it was predation by tetramorium that saved my ventricosa.
 
  • #24
okay! this is really bad.... my N.fusca sarawak and N.alata are showing these pests as well. Dammit!!!

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  • #25
Looks like there is nothing to do but isolate the infected and spray everything. Sorry.
 
  • #26
This pest seems to be turning into a plague. lol
Nothing on my plants yet...
 
  • #27
It's slow to take over and doesn't really seem to do much except cause unsightly red spots on the leaves.
My plant produced a good sized, non deformed pitcher while infected with these pests.
 
  • #28
I also had this scale (tropical whitefly?) on some plants form Hawaii. Heavy spraying with Orthene SP took care of it. Luckily, it didn't seem to spread, but a couple of prophylactic sprayings were applied to the neighboring plants.
 
  • #29
Barry-Rice's way :
"Whitefly: These seem to be mostly seasonal for me. I bet they can be controlled by insecticides. When I have had these in my greenhouse, I found that by shaking the infected plants, the whiteflies take to the air in panicked flight. Then by waving a large sundew in the air, such as D. capensis, all the whiteflies were taken care of nicely. After a few of these treatments, the infestation was decimated. "
(http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq3670.html)
 
  • #31
Take immediate action - spray/dunk plants thoroughly. If the lower stem/roots become infested, consider taking a leaf cutting and incinerate the rest...
 
  • #33
merit works really well, we used it on orchids back in florida, but it is damn expensive, upwards of 100$ for a small bottle of it. unless price has gone down, but DAMN does it work.
 
  • #34
These insects literally "ate" my two N. rafflesiana to the bones. I thought they were whiteflies and another grower also thought it was whiteflies. But they don't fly. The plants were isolated and put outside of my apartment. Organic insecticide didn't work 'cos the insects don't wash off after the spray so there must be some dead females with eggs around. Finally after 6 months, I gave up and the plants gave in. :-(
 
  • #35
My Grandma had that pest on her orchids, looks exactly the same. She cured them by using a damp paper towel and cleaning all the bugs off, she then sprayed the plant with this organic soap diluted in water sold in her villiage in Colombia. The plague of bugs was killed and seen no more. This also works by replacing the soap with insecticide. The plant must be cleaned thoroughly with the cloth first.
 
  • #36
If they are scale then they will be a challenge.. They are extreamly good at hiding in tight places that insecticide can't get too, including the roots. Once the young settle down and make the hard outside they are extreamly resistant to chemicals. Eggs are hiding under the hard shell and safe from chemicals.

The only way to effectively kill them is with multiple treatments with a systemic insecticide or one that has a long residual effect that will kill the young as they emerge and are vulnerable to insecticide. Or a combination of both! It is also difficult to know for sure if you have won the war since the old dead insects remain.

Personally I would wipe off as much as you can with towel and some alcohol. That way you will see more clearly if they are spreading again. Then treat with Orthene or some equally nasty systemic insecticide. You will need to follow the directions but something along the lines of retreating every 2 weeks for a total of at least 3 treatments would probably do the trick. For the first treatment I would simply unpot the plant remove all the potting mix and dunk and swish the plant vigorously in the solution.
 
  • #37
Hi Everyone,
We have had this pest invade our greenhouse, and we have eradicated it. We haven't seen them in a long time. We were informed by an Ag Agent that it is a type of tropical whitefly (there are many types of whitefly), and he recommended the treatment given by both Capslock and Philcula. The white dot thingies--looking like miniature tic-tacs, are the larval stage. they hatch from the eggs and make a hard casing for protection, as they happily suck the plant dry. A single reproductive cycle takes 10 to 15 days, depending on conditions, so the repeated treatment and systemic application of insecticides will be needed.
Neem will not get rid of them, but works as a preventative. Orthene, Merit, and other systemics are excellent. Orthene stinks like rotten cabbage, Merit is almost odorless but more expensive. A good topical treatment is Talstar, which is a lot friendlier to things like reptiles, birds and mammals. However, Talstar is not systemic, and using it requires more diligence.
Also, Vraev, you have two pests: brown scale and whitefly. Give both the same treatment as per Capslock and Philcula.
These pests are tough, but controllable. We haven't had a case since, well, some plants came in from Hawaii. Not to fear, because this pest is here in Florida too, and anyone in south Florida growing Neps has already encountered them.
Good luck and get started with the alcohol/water/soap treatment immediately!
T&M
Sunbelle
 
  • #38
thanks for the post guys. I am trying to see if I can buy orthenex online and give it a shot. I am hesitant as its inside an apartment and its too cold outside to take the plants and spray them there (-15 C). I should try talstar. BTW trent...thanks for the post...but I never saw a single fly anywhere. Those white things also are immobile. I noticed that now that I seperated the two plants infested by this.... the scale numbers went down in low humidity + a ethyl alcohol (kensington screen cleaner) treatment by using a ear swab over the leaves. I will get some rubbing alcohol later this week and try again and again and see if it can help somehow. I will also look up merit....but seriously the plants aren't even as expensive as the thing itself so i might shy away from it. :(
 
  • #39
I think cindy is right about them not being whitefly. They don't fly or move at all.
Strong systemic insecicide works with multible applications. Apply every 3-5 days for a month and they should be gone. Be carefull with the pesticide as it's very toxic to people. I use gloves and eye protection when spraying.
 
  • #40
The white dots are an encased larvae feeding on the plant. They do not move. the adult flies have a very short lifespan. They hatch and move to the potting media to "do the tango". After lurking there a while the females return to the leaves and lay eggs and thus the cycle starts again. This takes only ten days. This is why it spreads so fast. It is Whitefly, as ID'ed by the Florida Department of Agriculture.
Vraev, if you don't use a systemic, you will be doing a lot of leaf wiping. It can be done, but requires really keeping an eye on the infected plants, and check all others near it. Cut the rubbing alcohol 50/50 with water to prevent leaf burn. Pure alcohol evaporates rapidly and can dissicate thin leaved species. Also, add a drop or two of liquid dish washing detergent. This cuts any water tension and the whitefly larvae hate it. Remember, you will need to defeat two or three cycles to get rid of them.
Good luck!
T&M
Sunbelle
 
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