HELP! SHE'S COVERED IN THEM 😩😩
Jezebel has mealybugs! 😭😭😭 I just doused her with Sevin. I know, I hate chemicals, too, and I try to avoid them at all costs, but I'm afraid the natural and organic stuff just isn't going to work in this scenario. 😣😩 And Sevin has pretty much every type of mealybug known to man on its list of targeted insects.
I have separated her as best I can from everybody else, but I have a tiny property. I guess the one saving grace is that all of my plants are in pots so it's easy to move (most of) them around. The only things I can't really move on my own (due to back issues) are my tomatoes and okra, as they are all in 17+ gallon containers.
I went over everybody else with a fine toothed comb and they were all clean (so far as I can tell), with the exception of Sol, my moonflower, but she only had one and I killed that sucker faster than you can say "dead bug." 😑😑 The leaf it was on had been touching Jezebel, so I'm going to attribute the cross contamination to that.
Is there anything else I can do? Do you think the Sevin will work?? Or has the infestation already gone too far? I don't want to lose her 😭 I love my Spicy Janes—they raise pizza to a WHOLE new level!
@Alucen @FunLentenrose37 @Idplantthat @Malagueña @MariansOasis @princesspitstop @SillyPlantGirl @debbiedo @Ms.Persnickety @planthoe40 @HolyLacealoe @Succulent_Soul #pestcontrol #happyplants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantaddict #thewateringhole
I have separated her as best I can from everybody else, but I have a tiny property. I guess the one saving grace is that all of my plants are in pots so it's easy to move (most of) them around. The only things I can't really move on my own (due to back issues) are my tomatoes and okra, as they are all in 17+ gallon containers.
I went over everybody else with a fine toothed comb and they were all clean (so far as I can tell), with the exception of Sol, my moonflower, but she only had one and I killed that sucker faster than you can say "dead bug." 😑😑 The leaf it was on had been touching Jezebel, so I'm going to attribute the cross contamination to that.
Is there anything else I can do? Do you think the Sevin will work?? Or has the infestation already gone too far? I don't want to lose her 😭 I love my Spicy Janes—they raise pizza to a WHOLE new level!
@Alucen @FunLentenrose37 @Idplantthat @Malagueña @MariansOasis @princesspitstop @SillyPlantGirl @debbiedo @Ms.Persnickety @planthoe40 @HolyLacealoe @Succulent_Soul #pestcontrol #happyplants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantaddict #thewateringhole
6” pot with drainage
Last watered 2 days ago
19
I went back out with Q-Tips, and most of the bugs actually appeared to be dead. I only saw 2 or 3 still moving and I purged the pepper they were on and then squished it and threw it away. I used the Q-Tips to wipe off as many of the offending pests as I could get to, but some of them are too far down in the crevices of the stems, so I'm going to go out again this evening and spray the entire plant off VERY vigorously with my hose. 🤞🤞 Seriously, though, as if my ant problem isn't bad enough, now this 😭😭
Sevin most certainly works, but isn't the best for plants from which you want to eat the fruit. I don't know how late I am, but I would spot treat with alcohol and q-tips, then drench it with a mix of water with some Castile soap or dish soap. Of course, there's also insecticidal soap and neem oil as well. I hope this helps somewhat. I had an infestation on my hoyas. Good luck.
Also: if this ever happens to your houseplants, and you have any access to Systemic, you could sprinkle/mix some on/with the soil and water it in. If the mealy bugs were to feed, they would be poisoned, as the plant would absorb the systemic. You can't put it on veggies, or any other plants you intend to invest though, as it's toxic if eaten. Good for houseplants, though.
Also: if this ever happens to your houseplants, and you have any access to Systemic, you could sprinkle/mix some on/with the soil and water it in. If the mealy bugs were to feed, they would be poisoned, as the plant would absorb the systemic. You can't put it on veggies, or any other plants you intend to invest though, as it's toxic if eaten. Good for houseplants, though.
@wolfqueen The particular Sevin product that I have is specifically formulated to be safer on edible plants. Obviously anything I harvest is going to be washed thoroughly before it's eaten. And also, on the rare occasions that I do spray it, I am very careful to not get it on any of my flowers in order to minimize risk to my beneficial pollinators.
@SpyderLily I’m thinking it’s good that it’s outside at least, where some natural predators can maybe help you out! 🌱🤞🏻
Oh no! @SpyderLily chemicals on an edible plant is quite risky. 😬 Bob @Malagueña is right. Neem is a great non toxic natural pesticide that won’t harm your edibles, pollinators, or the environment. If you used neem in the past before and it didn’t work, it’s most likely due to not applying enough treatments in the correct time frame. Here’s what to do in the future so you don’t ever have to resort to chemicals again!
A couple of options for pests that won't hurt your plants are:
1 Tablespoon pure neem oil mixed with 4 cups (32 ounces of water)
Or
1 Tablespoon Castile soap mixed with 4 cups (32 ounces of water)
Castile is also good but it only kills on contact. As soon as it dries it becomes inactive.
It’s best though, to combine them because the soap helps the neem stay on the leaf And mix better into the water, but the recipe changes a little bit. You’ll want to decrease the amount of castile, so you don’t burn your plants. So, combined it’s:
1 Tablespoon pure neem oil
1/2 teaspoon Castile
4 cups (32oz water)
Mix that in a spray bottle, and spray it all over your plant. Tops and bottoms of leaves, stems, petioles, top of soil, and you can even use it to water your plant, as a soil drench.
Spray it thoroughly until it’s dripping off. Give it a gentle shake afterwards to get the drips and any puddles off. Then let air dry, and keep out of the sun for a day or two because it will make your plant photosensitive (apt to sunburn).
Neem oil starts to lose efficacy after about 12 hours so it’s important to mix up a fresh batch each time! I also shake the bottle regularly during and between spraying.
Also want to let you know mealybugs need more than one or two treatments.
You need to treat every 3 days for 3 weeks. If you miss a day, the three week ticker starts over.
Also, do you have companion plants nearby? It is very important to have them, as they will help attract the good bugs who eat the bad bugs. Like @debbiedo and @ZenfrogZero mentioned.
Some great choices are dill and fennel—they attract lacewings and beneficial wasps that eat mealybugs. Borage, parsley, yarrow will attract and support ladybugs who also eat mealybugs.
Good luck and feel free to tag me in the future if you ever need help or have questions 🤍🌻
A couple of options for pests that won't hurt your plants are:
1 Tablespoon pure neem oil mixed with 4 cups (32 ounces of water)
Or
1 Tablespoon Castile soap mixed with 4 cups (32 ounces of water)
Castile is also good but it only kills on contact. As soon as it dries it becomes inactive.
It’s best though, to combine them because the soap helps the neem stay on the leaf And mix better into the water, but the recipe changes a little bit. You’ll want to decrease the amount of castile, so you don’t burn your plants. So, combined it’s:
1 Tablespoon pure neem oil
1/2 teaspoon Castile
4 cups (32oz water)
Mix that in a spray bottle, and spray it all over your plant. Tops and bottoms of leaves, stems, petioles, top of soil, and you can even use it to water your plant, as a soil drench.
Spray it thoroughly until it’s dripping off. Give it a gentle shake afterwards to get the drips and any puddles off. Then let air dry, and keep out of the sun for a day or two because it will make your plant photosensitive (apt to sunburn).
Neem oil starts to lose efficacy after about 12 hours so it’s important to mix up a fresh batch each time! I also shake the bottle regularly during and between spraying.
Also want to let you know mealybugs need more than one or two treatments.
You need to treat every 3 days for 3 weeks. If you miss a day, the three week ticker starts over.
Also, do you have companion plants nearby? It is very important to have them, as they will help attract the good bugs who eat the bad bugs. Like @debbiedo and @ZenfrogZero mentioned.
Some great choices are dill and fennel—they attract lacewings and beneficial wasps that eat mealybugs. Borage, parsley, yarrow will attract and support ladybugs who also eat mealybugs.
Good luck and feel free to tag me in the future if you ever need help or have questions 🤍🌻
@DreamMachine I was desperate 😭😭 I currently don't have neem or Castile. I don't get paid until Friday, and then that's another several days before it's delivered. I didn't want to let the infestation go that long 😩😩 I only have the insecticide because of an infestation of fire ants that I had in my bedroom when I first moved into this house. I would wake up to find them crawling on me... I literally have scars all over my body from them (and I now have a legitimate ant phobia as a result 😣😣😩) I'm not in the habit of spraying poison, but sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures 😳😳
@SpyderLily holy S***! 😳 Fire ants have always been something that have alarmed me, even though I live nowhere near areas they live. 🫣Yikes, how scary! You can always use a bit of (hopefully mild) dish soap in a pinch, as long as it’s not used regularly, that way you can still comfortably eat your produce. But I know, hindsight is 20/20 🤷♀️ and I’ve totally acted on panic before…and probably would, if I had fire ants 🙈
@DreamMachine My cat and I slept in the living room for two nights after I sprayed because I absolutely SOAKED the bedroom in pesticide 😭 I can't handle ants, anymore. One or two, up to five, maybe even ten, fine, but once I start to see mass quantities of them I damn near go into a convulsive panic. 😳😳😣😩
