dreaded mealy bugs
By cacti66
10 comments
my son bought a cactus from a cacti seller last year and was drawn to it because it was flowering…..the cactus was in a tight pot so i repotted it to discover that it was quite badly damaged and had holes in it that had healed…gave the cactus a chance and it continued to grow and flower again…recently i noticed white dots and sadly mealy bugs had taken hold in the damaged areas….i cut away further into the plant and it was infested….ive taken the precaution of throwing the plant away …..i did spray it but it didnt seem to kill the larger adults….its a sad day when you have to put a flowering cactus in the bin but with a house full of plants i couldnt take the risk….any tips on keeping them at bay would be gratefully received.x
4 Apr, 2012
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Comments
Is that with cacti ? Ive thrown the whole plant out today :-(
4 Apr, 2012
i do it with mine...there are many sprays around but i try not to use them. i have cut away the bad bits on some plants as you have described with some winners and some loosers. but now i just try and keep a closer eye on them and try to catch the bugs asap...:-)
4 Apr, 2012
right .... I lost my bottle and threw it out .... Ill have to be braver next time
4 Apr, 2012
i've killed many in the process of learning..Lol there so much more to learn..
4 Apr, 2012
I haven't had them on my cacti for years. I used to dab them with methylated spirit.
4 Apr, 2012
Ive used a bug killer spray from homebase .....ive sprayed them all as i found the odd bug on two other plants this evening :-(
4 Apr, 2012
i did use something like that Hywel but i didnt like the smell. the large collection i took on, had a lot of bugs on them so i had to use a lot. i only get a few now and find washing them helps. i like to take them outside in july and hose them down gently too...
4 Apr, 2012
I put them out in heavy thunderstorm during the summer. I find it gets rid of dust aswell :o)
5 Apr, 2012
Hywel i think they enjoy a summer shower...:-)
6 Apr, 2012
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hello cacti66
mealy bugs like other aphids are always waiting in the wings. when i spot those white dots on one of my babies i take it outside turn them on their sides and wash the whole thing...you can see the bugs floating away. i'll be checking mine every week all summer.
4 Apr, 2012