New and Unread Tree-Mails
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Rugby  TheSystem1807 Mar 17, 2018 12:37 PM CST |
| Can somebody confirm that those are mealybugs on my aloe Vera ? And maybe suggest a best way to get rid of them ? Btw... the biggest ones can move around in relatively quick pace. Thanks     |
Name: Will Creed NYC Profess plant consultant & educator  WillC Mar 17, 2018 1:52 PM CST |
| Yes, very healthy mealybugs, for sure! I suggest mixing a solution of 1 part alcohol, 5 parts water and a squirt of liquid dish soap in a spray bottle. Then, spray the entire plant so thoroughly that all of the leaves are dripping wet, tops and bottoms. Be sure the solution gets into the crevices where the leaves join the main stems. If you try wiping or spraying only the ones that you see, you will miss the nearly invisible juveniles that will mature and reproduce. Thoroughness of the spraying is the key to success. If you are really though, one treatment should be adequate. However, it always pays to be vigilant and treat mealies at the first sign of their return. Will Creed Horticultural Help, NYC www.HorticulturalHelp.com Contact me directly at [email protected] I now have a book available on indoor plant care |
Name: Baja Baja California (Zone 11b)              Baja_Costero Mar 17, 2018 2:28 PM CST |
| To remove the bugs from the plant, I would wipe it clean with a paper towel soaked in 70% ethanol first. Start at the bottom of each leaf, holding the paper to the surface, and wipe upward toward the tip. Maybe change paper towels if the bugs start piling up. Since there are no spines on the leaf surfaces, this should be quick and easy. Then you can address any remaining visible bugs with ethanol spray, and repeat after a few days if you see more action. That cottony stuff does look like mealybugs but mealybugs are not fast-moving animals in my experience, and they tend to concentrate their effort more toward the growth center, especially at the base of soft young leaves. I don't remember seeing them on the underside of aloe leaves, but I'm sure they end up there sometimes too. In any case it's really easy to wipe your plant clean... but like Will says, just be vigilant for a while afterwards (including watching your other plants) to make sure the cotton fuzz doesn't come back. |
Rugby TheSystem1807 Mar 22, 2018 12:26 AM CST |
| Thank you for help. I mixed 80vol absinthe with water and some liquid dish soup and little bit of antibacterial cleaner and sprayed the plant. There were so many of them that I was a doubtful if anything would help but so far after three days not a single mealybug. |
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