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Mealybugs are attacking my plants

My S. purpurea and D. intermedia is infected with mealybugs. What should I do to get rid of those annoying pests?
 
Repot them, they'll grow bigger, Bigger Pots = Bigger plants = Bigger Mealybugs!
 
Hahaha lol. The mealybugs are so annoying. They have killed my purpurea once and is now attacking my other purpurea and intermedia. I have isolated the infected plants.
 
I've never dealt with them, I've heard neem oil works, good thing you isolated them!
 
Hope my plants survive(I'm not afraid of the intermedia, it has spread to my other plants, but I'm afraid of the purpurea). Going to spray tons of insecticides(which I hope does not kill the plant).
 
I would manually remove mealybugs, then swab the plant over with rubbing alcohol to remove the eggs if there are any.
 
Maybe I'll try to manually kill them.
 
Mealybugs are tough. Even if you are picking off visible adults.....there are probably smaller individuals hiding in cracks and crevices. Keep an eye on your noninfected plants too just in case there is one or two escaping detection.
I have used varioud insecticideds, including Orthene and the Bayer 3 in 1 on Sarracenia without problem. Make sure they are mixed according to instruction, and spray the plants early in the day. Make sure you thoroughtly wet all of the foliage...spray from all angles. Repeat application at least twice more at two week intervals. That should get them.
I have never had mealies on Sars, but I have had them on other plants (succulents: Sansevieria). they can be a pain so be diligent and get rid of them once and for all.
 
I will douse my sarras with lots of stinky chemicals then(even if it kills it, it is better than my whole collection going bye bye).
 
  • #10
As Woodnative said, mealybugs are impossible to remove manually. They move when disturbed and if they get into the rhizome or roots they are very difficult to get rid of at that point.

A systemic insecticide is your best bet. If they get into the roots a soil drench might work. Repeat sprayings as often as recommended by the manufacturers and treat at for one month. They are very persistent.
 
  • #11
The only time I had mealybugs was in a terrestrial utric. I submerged the plant under water for two weeks. This drowned both the mealybugs and the newly hatched bugs. The problem with mealybugs is that they can get in the soil, and once there they can be very difficult to extricate. I was fortunate to have a plant that didn't mind being flooded occasionally. I'm not sure this would work with your plants. It is better to lose one plant than an entire collection.

-Hermes.
 
  • #12
I agree with Hermes, throw the thing out if it's only one plant! Better to lose just the one then chance them spreading. Mealies are the worst little... :censor:
 
  • #13
But I still want my purpurea. So should I spray the plant with gross pesticide everyday?
 
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