worms killing heliamphora and neps

[Altair]

Hi, I'm asking for some help!
I have an emergency here, I don't know how but my terrarium has an infestation of rhizome worms. I don't know what they are but they make a hole on my plants rhizomes and start eating them from inside. I tried to use imidacloprid (confidor and provado) but it doesn't work.
I watered the plants with confidor solution but today, after 3 days, I rip a dead H. Tatei rhizome and find one of them happy and healty inside.
I dont' want to lose my H. tatei, 2 of 5 growing points are already gone. My nepenthes lavicola probably has one inside. What can I do? Immersion is useless because water can't penetrate inside their small holes and they have plenty of oxigene here.
Anyone know some good chemicals to kill those bugs?
Here are some pictures




Thanks,
Vale

 

[throckmoron]

I had a devastating run with these little creeps, they killed many young heli's of many species (lots of beautiful plant tissue and money eaten by their greedy little jaws) I decided that they must be the larvae of the little grey hopping things that seem to be everywhere (usually harmlessly) in my soils. I tried pyrethrums and neem oil with some results. Amazingly the neem oil did not seem to harm the pitchers at all, the pyrethrum spray was very strong and would turn the tissue to jelly if it stayed on too long. I then tried Orthezene(?) and it seemed to work all right. All 3 worked to some extent, bringing about a burst of recovery growth immediately afterwards. But I could not seem to get rid of the parents so the worms kept coming back. I finally invested more money in my setup: dropped the temp's and provided a LOT more light (thinking maybe they were just weak from not having ideal conditions and being not too old out of TC). This did the trick, after changing the conditions I only lost one or two babies from injuries already sustained. It was a bloody battle, but what I think I learned is that if Heli's don't have fairly ideal conditions their systems are compromised enough to leave them prone to infestations from critters that normally would not be able. I know this is true in Mexican Ping's. Judging by the quite light green color of your pitchers I would say there is a good chance you are in the same boat - get some light on those beauties!
That's my theory anyways-- Anyone else?

Oh, and on the Nep. you should be able to dig them out of there, those stems can sustain pretty serious injuries and heal up very well, or just chop it and clone it after cutting out the affected area--

 

[Est]

I can't say anything from experience, but it does look like light conditions are a little low. There isn't much in the way of accessory pigments and the spoons don't look as developed as they'd be under higher light (unless it's a species thing.)

It's a horticultural fact that stressed plants are much more likely to be succeptable to invasion. I hope that you get it all sorted out soon without anymore losses!

 

[glider14]

ok you could take a few leaves off of it and attempt a leaf cutting. it works with sarrs so why wont it work with heli? these might be the same as root borer moths(and larve). try isotox or an systemic (i hope this is the same thing) incecticide that is absorbed by the plants and therefore make it toxic. i used isotox on my neps that were infested with scale and mites....they mad a 100% recovery!. just keep trying.
Alex

 

[Altair]

Thanks for the replies!
I found the pest name, they're probably Ephestia kuehniella larvae. I got them 2 years ago with the food of my birds. I've never tought they'll be dangerous for my plants too.
A friend tells me about bacillus thuringensis (Thuricide, Dipel) but I found it only at amazon.com. Anyone know where to buy it in europe? Thanks!