What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Years and years with no bug problems...

FlytrapGurl

apple rings.. what more can i say?
***puts face in hands and groans*** Well, my three prized S. minor have a problem.

I haven't had a bug problem in all the years I've had CPs, and now I do and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do about it. I went out to take care of the plants for the night and checked over them all. Then I noticed this weird... mildew-colored (but not fuzzy) stuff mottling every single pitcher! Among this bizarre mottling are little, round, black dots... bugs! Most are fused on the pitchers so hard you can't get them off. I know they're bugs because some are crawling. I figured the wisest thing to do until I know what to do about this is to separate the minors (all in one pot) from the rest of the plants, so I took them out of the greenhouse and set them on the concrete bench on the patio, where they still get some sun as long as they're out there. I have no idea what to do, since, like I said before, I have never had a bug problem with my plants, and I've never seen anything like this before.

What is this and what can I do to save my precious, two foot tall giants?

Please help ASAP!
                     FTG
 
Guess this should be in the Sarracenia forum but not sure if it's working right now.

Have you tried wiping off the spots to see if they are superficial? Could be surface mold growing on nectar OR on sugar secreted by some leaf sucking insect. Can't really help you on black dots that move. But if they are fused to the pitcher then my guess is they are some sort of scale insect. WHICH can excrete sugar and cause moldy leaf surfaces directly below the insects.
Tony
 
FTG,

The Savage Garden recommends using Orthene, Malathion, or Diazinon to control aphids, mealy bugs, and scale. It sounds like you have scale. If I were you, I'd give 'em a dose of good ol' chemical warfare. I've used Orthene on aphids on my sarras to good effect.

Capslock
 
i notice that there are some little bugs crawing in and out of my pots in the moss where my seedlings are growing... I crush what i can with my fingures and hope no more will show up.. Hey sense some of my pots dont have a drainage hole underneath.. will that mean that some bugs will seek it as a nesting place? that is if it makes a nice climate for them? ive seen how bugs will lay eggs in rabbit mess under the cages and i alwyas find maggots even after just 1 week.
 
Scale? Hmph... thought scale looked like little green shelled things, not micro-tiny and black... oh well, shows how much I know...

Diazinon... hmmmm... I've got some of that... ***taps lip***

Okay... so how should I safely apply it?
 
I just dilute it to the proper strength, and spray it directly on the plant, making sure I get good surface coverage. The plants actually seem to not mind at all, in my experience.

Capslock
 
Okay... the bag I have says "Soil & Turf Insect Control Granules." Exactly what measure do I use, i.e., water to Diazinon ratio?
 
***looks around, sees no one and panics***
 
Don't panic! I don't know anything about granules. Mine came in a little bottle. I'm not sure if one made for "turf" has the same concentration or not, so if I were you, um... well... I guess I'd panic.

Capslock
 
  • #10
The granuals are meant to be sprinkled over areas where insects are causing problems such as anthills or sections of lawn infested with bugs such as cutworms (beetle grubs). It is then watered into the soil. You need to find the liquid form that is meant to be mixed with water (you may find some premixed) and sprayed onto plants.

alien.gif
 
  • #11
GAAAAAAAH! Okay... need... Lowe's...
 
  • #12
Double GAAAAAAAH!!! They took Diazinon off the market!! Stupid peeps... Well, I'll try Orthene this time! So how should I use this? I'm leaving to go out of state tonight and I need to know fast so I can tell my friend (who is taking care of the plants) how to use it and how often...

Please answer ASAP!
FTG
 
  • #13
whoa girl... calm down, lol.

I had this exact problem. this is not scale. the black dots you see are the waste of thrips, a very nasty insect. if you look closely you will see little aphid-looking things. dust powder worked fine for me
smile.gif
 
  • #14
NYYAAAACCCCK!! Okay... calm down... ***breathes deeply*** Whew... okay... well, I called Rockledge Gardens, who has a few peeps that know about CPs, and the guy said to use something called "Organicide". He also said that, since I'll be leaving tonight for a vacation, to bring the plants over to Rockledge Gardens when I get back and they'll see what can be done about them... *sigh*. Well, I guess that's good that I can actually get someone to see it firsthand... so, I'll do that. You think this plant will survive for 12 days until I get back???
 
  • #15
Hey, I know where Rockledge Gardens is! Though when I went there, they had a few neps that looked good leafwise, but no pitchers. I'm pretty sure they were Coccineas.

CPs are pretty tough in general. I bet they'll make it!

SF
 
  • #16
Oh cool... you live near there? Neat! That means you are probably pretty close to me...
 
Back
Top