What are these little bugs??
My Chinese Taro has all these little bugs that I just noticed (was out of town for a bit). On both healthy and dead leaves and at the base of the plant. Anyone know what they are and how I can get rid of them? They look like Aphids maybe?
10ft to light, indirect
8” pot with drainage
Last watered 11 months ago
5
Oh yikes! These are mealy bugs . I would cut off badly infested leaves and spray down the whole plant to remove as many as possible.
Then take a q-tip with rubbing alcohol and remove any tiny white dots to kill them.
Then you can make a rubbing alcohol spray or get Safers insecticidal soap and spray down the plant weekly. You'll want to get the concoction into the stocks of the plant each time. Continue to check daily and spit treat any white dots with rubbing alcohol.
Keep this plant quarantined until the issue is resolved so it doesn't spread to other plants
Then take a q-tip with rubbing alcohol and remove any tiny white dots to kill them.
Then you can make a rubbing alcohol spray or get Safers insecticidal soap and spray down the plant weekly. You'll want to get the concoction into the stocks of the plant each time. Continue to check daily and spit treat any white dots with rubbing alcohol.
Keep this plant quarantined until the issue is resolved so it doesn't spread to other plants
Mealy bugs, the insect whose eggs can survive anything and make me believe they could be the next cockroach. I lost a lot of my excitement over succulents since first finding and then learning about mealy pain.
I truly hate them, and the sanitizing mentioned above works if you're vigilant. One thing I experimented with was releasing ladybugs - like, hundreds at one point - on my cactus; the white wool on many makes it impossible to simply groom for bugs/bug eggs. It was a weird scene, but it seemed to work; maybe I think it worked because I watched a ladybug hoover up some mealies and their eggs.
Note also that I live in an apartment whose management takes pride in a 0 spider policy. I lost all my natural predators, hence buying 1500 ladybugs.
Image of two of my "in quarantine" friends. They are dope plants, but the one in the white pot in particular has been a year of unsuccessful cleanings. But I can't let it go lol.
I truly hate them, and the sanitizing mentioned above works if you're vigilant. One thing I experimented with was releasing ladybugs - like, hundreds at one point - on my cactus; the white wool on many makes it impossible to simply groom for bugs/bug eggs. It was a weird scene, but it seemed to work; maybe I think it worked because I watched a ladybug hoover up some mealies and their eggs.
Note also that I live in an apartment whose management takes pride in a 0 spider policy. I lost all my natural predators, hence buying 1500 ladybugs.
Image of two of my "in quarantine" friends. They are dope plants, but the one in the white pot in particular has been a year of unsuccessful cleanings. But I can't let it go lol.
@PoignantEllisia thank you! And would it just be a 50/50 water and alcohol spray that I should use?
Hey, you can find the mixture recipe here https://urbansproutsstore.com/pages/mealybugs-proper-treatment-application
Personally, I struggled to find 70% alcohol and only found 90%. I just looked up how to adjust the recipe for the different alcohol percentage
Personally, I struggled to find 70% alcohol and only found 90%. I just looked up how to adjust the recipe for the different alcohol percentage
