@The Jungle Haven Hello Clair, What a disaster with the mealy bugs... I work in the lab and when we want to use alcohol as a disinfectant, we dilute it with H20 dist. water. (70 vol % alcohol like ethanol or isopropanol and 30 vol % H20 dist.). This is more effective than undiluted alcohol. It is even more effective to add a few drops of surfactant (like washing-up liquid) to this 70/30 mixture... This reduces the surface tension and can better wet the skin/shell of the mealybugs and thus work more effectively. Wouldn't it also be an idea to immerse the plant upside down (without the roots having contact with this alcohol/water/surfactant mixture - e.g. a plastic bag around the roots/culture pot) in this mixture and let it work for about 2-3 minutes (moving back and forth)? Good luck with your Hoya... and that it is finally over with the bugs Greetings from Germany Susanne
This is so useful, thanks so much Susanne! I did think about dunking the plant directly into a solution, I just didn't want to have to immerse the entire plant unless completely necessary (in hindsight, this might have been a better option considering how bad the infestation was). Very interesting that diluted alcohol is more effective... do you know what the reason for this is? I know about washing up liquid, and I use it for a lot of other pests (such as thrips), but have never thought do so for mealybugs. 💚
@@TheJungleHaven Hello Clair, When I worked in microbiology, we added a few drops of surfactant to the alcohol/water mixture because some microorganisms have a hydrophobic (water-repellent) membrane/shell and to get the alcohol in, the surfactant helps to make it. I found the explanation in the 'Deutsche Apotheken Zeitung' (von 2020/02/19) - "spruehen-oder-wischen-das-ist-hier-die-frage" "...always dilute alcohols with water. The effect of alcohols is based on a denaturation of proteins of the microorganisms. For this, however, the alcoholic disinfectant must also be able to penetrate the respective cell. This is only possible with alcohols diluted with water. Pure alcohol would cause the cell to dry out, but it cannot penetrate into the cell interior. The germs would therefore only be damaged externally and could multiply again after evaporation of the alcohol. Isopropanol 70 per cent as the remedy of choice Pharmacies almost exclusively use isopropanol 70 per cent (V/V) for surface disinfection. This alcohol, also called 2-propanol, is chemically the simplest non-cyclic, secondary alcohol. Its boiling point is 82 °C and the substance is miscible with water in any ratio.... " I love your videos so much ... and especially the hanging plants. For a few months now I have been stocking up my small collection (45-55 plants) and gradually converting it to semi-hydroponics (LECA) .... It is so important to use only mineral fertilisers and to have enough calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) in the nutrient solution... At the moment I am experimenting with fertiliser salts to achieve an optimal composition.... It's so much fun to watch the plants grow.... Kind regards Susanne
@@TheJungleHaven Thanks so much for this video, and for almost sacrificing your beloved plant. Makes me feel much better prepared for my first mealy bug. While I've had plants for many years, I've (knock on wood) not had many pests. Please, please bring on the rescue videos, especially with plants like this - I would probably have just thrown the plant out as a forlorn hope! For the alcohol: 70% is more effective against bacteria because 1) the 99% evaporates too quickly and 2) because the cell walls of the bacteria coagulate or shut down when faced with it while the 70% has enough water in it to weasel its way into the cell. Whether the effectiveness against insects is improved by dilution I don't know. Also "rubbing alcohol" is usually already diluted, check your bottle for how much isopropyl it really contains.
I was told by an insect scientist that you should treat mealy bugs three times with a ten day rest in between. That should break their breeding cycle by killing all the “invisible” ones we never see. I have carried this out with great success 👍
It's much eaiser to take it to a sink or tub and rinse it off with water and then put the Alcohol in a spray bottle and spray the whole plant with it and change the soil of corse.
Dear remove it from soil wash it thoroughly and spray with dish soap. Replant with new soil. Let it dry and check again and clean with alcohol. You cant kill them like that.
I use Bonide systemic on all my plants and reapply every 2 months. I find that works best at killing them and keeping them off the plant. It’s the only way I’ve been able to successfully treat a plant, and also just keeping them at bay. I’m in the US and for some reason you can’t buy it in stores or even get it shipped here, I order online and drive to the next state to pick it up in store.
@@amberlynn1619 I’m in Connecticut, I found out it’s banned here and can’t be bought in stores or online. I drive 30 mins across the border to Massachusetts to get it, and I only use it on my indoor plants.
I bought 500 ladybugs and when I released them they all flew over to the neighbors yard. The funny thing is the neighbor's yard has no plants or trees, just grass, whereas my yard is a true garden with several trees, growing vegetables, decorative plants, shrubs, fruit trees, lots of grass and several native ferns and orchids. So why did my ladybugs just desert my garden.
Should put it in a spray bottle and you can still go over with a brush. I’m dealing with them in my Hindu ropes and some other Hoyas also. It’s a weekly chore for me ☹️
What’s the ratio you use? I’ve never been an essential oil fan but my mom has always given me a bunch. I’ll sometimes mix a mint, citronella, sage spray for spiders since there’s some nasty ones around my house but I’ve got spider mites atm 😬🤦🏻♀️😒 and am willing to try anything in conjunction with other treatments to keep all pests at bay.
@@kateoc8 For the sake of my dogs and myself, I’m definitely spraying for widows and recluses. I don’t appreciate the screaming or moral grandstanding, but I do happen to have a breadth of appreciation for ecology and spent many years in academia within that field. I am ethical and responsible in my practices of necessity for safety reasons. You’re kind of a dick, though. Have a good evening.
This is a very tedious method and risky of leaf burn. Stick them in the shower, they come off so easily. Spray neem oil. Repeat after 3 -4 days. Showering plants is a great way for pest control, it mimics what happens outside - rain to wash pests away.
This is an ongoing battle with my hoya compacta! My beautiful plant is half in size...from dead leavesI over a year and a half...even soaked the whole plant in soapy water for 30 min....and they appeared again!....keeping it outside in summer helps but they always find it once inside!....I gave it an alcohol swab inbetween the tight curled leaves....so I need to keep on top of it....I can't put it outside unil June 1st! Hope yours bounces back too! I am going to buy b bugs this year...because I can no longer stand living with thrip anymore....have a great day! ♡ from MN
Oh no Claire. Fellow plant Momma sympathy. I had a persistent case on my heirloom huuuge Croton, it took my 2 months of persistence checking, killing of the stragglers before she was free of them. Worth it! Shes thriving now pest free over a year. Hoping your Hoya will too!💚
Goodness! Those mealy bugs are the worst! I did have some on my ficus triangularis just recently so what i did was put pure rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and just sprayed it down especially on the the mealy bugs that were visible and even sprayed it on the soil, then i rinsed it thoroughly with water, and reppotted. I had to to the alcohol spray bottle one more time with a rinse and i do think that definitely helped keep them at bay! Good luck!!
I recently dunked my plants upside down in a bucket of soap and alcohol. Was that bad? I only lost 1. an alocasia cuprea cormling lost it's leaves. Not sure yet about the corm. my Ikea cabinet was infested with spider mites and I did not have the energy or mental capacity to deal with it. Several went straight in the bin. The rest I said "you survive or you don't this is what's happening". Lol.
They remind me of aphids on roses. I would always trim away the tender leaves and blooms that were overrun and then release my ladybugs on the rest. Best of luck to you!
Lately people were finding them on the bananas from the supermarket! I've seen some reports on the Facebook groups. I never thought of it but will be checking my shopping carefully.
I always, always, wash my bananas when I bring them home. They can harbor a lot worse things than even mealy bugs. Anecdotal, of course, but I heard of an instance where a black widow spider was found in a bunch. And of course, the pesky fruit flies are ubiquitous on bananas.
Oh dear! With a plant that size, you are much better off cutting the plant way down and starting over. Otherwise, you risk missing a lot of them, and they will always be 2 steps ahead of you. Cut it way back. Most of the leaves are too damaged anyway. Good luck!
Been dealing with Mealy Bugs on my Hoya for a long time! I've tried many natural remedies & alcohol too! Got busy with life & neglected it😢now I took have an infestation! I'll be trying your brush method & will replace the soil & give the pot a good wash! I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this as my Hoya is large & viney! It hangs in my window & looks lovely but soon it comes down with treatments! I pray I can effectively get it to a healthy state as I LOVE her! Thank you Clair!!!! I've recently started following you! ❤
I love your treatment tips! I recently went through this with my Hoya collection. My Compacta was the worst to clean. 😆 It's such a hard fight, but it's possible. Best of luck to you. 💕
I've had plants for ages but luckily never ever had to deal with any of them - until a few days ago that is, when I spotted a single one for the very first time on one of my succulents. 'Touch all the wood' I managed to prevent much worse, so far so good, haven't come across any new ones on my daily thorough checks. 🤞
I'd given up on a clivia & put it outside, intending to recover the pot after the winter, but after a heavy rain I couldn't see any mealybugs. I know they're still present, but hopefully will be now more manageable.
Perhaps if you change the soil anyways, take the plant out of the pot, flip it kind of upside down and wrap it in a bag tight and then take the plant and throughly spray to even dip the top half of the plant right into an alcohol dip, take the bag off, rinse off the roots and repot. There must be a simpler way.
I've been dealing with a fungus gnat infestation that started with my mum's spider plant. I've managed to save it by replacing the soil and cleaning the nursery pot and outer pot with hot water and alcohol. I also placed a few cape sundews to kill off any stray gnats. And it worked! Natural solutions are the best. Plus I gained some fast growing sundews :)
Clair, why don't you pick up a small spray bottle and spray the alcohol on the mealys and even mites for quick control of them? It's so much faster for that hoya. The plant will recover from that. Brushing it is still using it. I had not seen mealy for 3 decades. I brought in a papaya for my 50 gallon pond in kitchen and it spread into my huge asparagus fern, macho fern, bird of paradise and other plants in living room. I'm in much smaller one bedroom building an even bigger jungle. I was mealy free until just now found one small one on my tiny one leaf alocasia Jacklyn, killing the only small leaf left of the two or three on the cutting I bought. I had cleaned everything. I had been told with spider mite prone plants that biologicals won't work unless you have the perfect humidity environment and all the conditions necessary for it to work. I have a massive rubber plant with them and the entire area is palms and banana and plants and nowhere to quarantine. They are controlled but not yet gone and trying to avoid using dr. Doom.
After treating for bugs you can put a buggy plant in a big white garbage bag...to prevent a spread to other plants....then check in 2 days again....and repeat every 2 days......little white dots of mealy bugs will keep comming back..it only takes 1 bug to start over.....a last ditch effort may have to be pulling the plant out of pot knock off all soil rinse off roots in a bucket outdoors....finally put entire plant in bucket and submerge for 20 mins....take out and spray off everywhere...stems and under leaves too. Put back in white garbage bag after wrapping roots with damp paper towels. Check in a couple days may need to repeat
Hi Claire, fortunately I haven’t had mealy bugs up to now, thank goodness. Where did the dead mealies go when you brushed the alcohol on them? Did they drop off or did the shower wash them off? When I’ve wiped scale insects off with HP using a cotton bud they would end up in the container I used for dipping. 😟
Ive got a few phaleonopsis orchids..and tons of other plants. The horrid little mealy mofos only seem to go for the orchids. I attack em with fairy liquid solution, cotton buds, wipe leaves with 3%hydrogen peroxide etc. The struggle is real...
what's fairy liquid? this is how my infestation started! My coworker brought in an orchid from home that was covered in them, it eventually died and now most of my other plants have them and I keep spraying with 70% alcohol and they keep coming back!!!
My concern with an infestation like that is the roots. The mealies love to get down in the roots then it becomes an even worse nightmare. That always ends in rebooting the plant. This is one of the reasons I stay away from compactas and Kringle.
Last summer, my plain green hoya carnosa came down with a bad infestation and decimated my girl. It killed two thirds of her vines. I finally eradicated the bugs and she is in recovery and putting out new growth, quickly. She did manage to share them with my baltic blue Philodendron, a very leafy plant. I treated it for weeks, but it got so bad, I took cuttings and pitched the mother plant. The cuttings are doing well and filling up the pot, but holy cow, the plant was so beautiful before the mealies got to her; tragic, what the little f*$#ckers did to her. Recently, I found a few on two of my Dieffenbachia, normally trouble-free for me. I have struggled with mealies for the last year and I am over it. Hoping I don't find any more, I might have a melt-down and just start pitching plants...
This is exactly what I have been searching for! I have just started to collect Hoyas. I have three. I want to know which ones are prone to bugs and if I should spray anything on them when I come into the home with a new plant. How long should I quarantine the plant? In your opinion? Thanks!!
I got a Ficus benghalensis a few weeks ago and it arrived with a few mealy bugs. I got them off with alcohol and treated the whole plant with a dilute solution, but turns out it wasn't dilute enough and all the leaves got burnt and fell off 😆 they're growing back now though!!
I did this on two of my plants and I had to propagate them as the roots died! It is still looking okay. I keep it moist and can see a tini tiny new growth point starting to form
Fast , easiest and cheapest way that actually works in 1 to 3 treatments within 1 week. Thick leaf Hoyas (or other plants) 90+% rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle, completely spray the entire plant until dripping wet, let it stay on the plant for 5-10 minutes depending on size of plant and/or infestation, rinse with room temperature water. Thin leaf plants, 50% water/ 50% alcohol. Repeat in 3-4 days if needed. Add Systemic granules as directed after watering, lightly water them in. (For indoor plants) to avoid issue again. Natural treatments take months to work , IF they work at all.
What about outdoor plants? I found them on my cactus. I don't use systemic granules outdoors because I want to encourage natural predators (I'm in Florida)
@@jesskurti7517 that's a personal decision we each have to make, I personally use systemic granules on indoor and outdoor plants. I remove blooms/flowers to stop pollinators from getting direct contact. It's a decision you need to weigh the pros and cons with. I use it on Cacti, Euphorbias and other Succulents.
@@jesskurti7517I use rubbing alcohol at 1/4 &3/4 water for Cacti/other Succulents, but Rubbing alcohol is basically a band-aid for the infestation. Natural predators doesn't stand a chance, they are highly outnumbered , especially in bug paradise...Florida USA . I know firsthand, I'm in the Panhandle.
I found mealybugs on a plant I bought two weeks ago. I tried to treat the plant and made some cuttings, but found new mealybugs on the cuttings just a week after the treatment. As I read that it's almost impossible to get rid of mealybugs, I tossed the plant to the bin yesterday and tried to clean every surface it got in contact with... Also I read the eggs and larvae aren't susceptible to treatment, so they might come back within weeks/months... :s I'm so afraid that they already have spread to my other plants. I hope she had more luck with the treatment.
Hi very helpful, regarding putting the plant in a bag does it need any holes for air ? Any idea how long I can keep the bag cover? Pls help me trying to control pests from spreading! 😭
They make this hobby such a hassle. They are always coming back even whatever I do. It's harder when you have lots of plants. I used to be freaked out by them, now I just squish them with my bare hands when I walk by and see one.
Hi Clair, I have a question. I’m dealing with root mealy bug infestation 😢 in my streptocarpus house plant collection. I Have almost lost three and have three more looking very sad. I’m unsure of how to treat them as there’s no bugs on the leaves, they are literally being eaten from the bottom up. Would flushing the pots / soil with diluted hydrogen peroxide work and if so what ratio would be best? The pots are no bigger than 15cm wide. The only other option I can think of is purchasing a strong insecticide, but again not sure which one would work best. I have provanto bug killer spray and have sprayed the affected plants but no luck in getting rid of the bugs. I also unpotted two of the worst affected and washed all the roots off but as streps have very fine roots like African violets it shocked them and they didn’t cope well, so Im now trying to save them by keeping them in my prop box. 😔 any advice would be brilliant! I’m absolutely devastated as I love my strep plants so much, i have over 20 in my collection and I fear I will loose them 😩 .
Methylated spirit is good, years ago you could get a systemic insecticide which just wipe them out including the root mealybug but for some reason, I can’t seem to find it anymore.😢
Or put the dirt in the oven...an add to it later. Also would love to know, an I mean no offense...but if the bug are under the leaves why do people only spray the top? Would you not spray the underside or both...
If I was you I would submerge the whole plant in a bowl of water or your bath for a bit, as well as showering it. I’m sure they should drown when submerged in water or float off the plant. Anyway I hope your alcohol, shower and neem oil worked and your plant is doing better 😊
so helpful! what would you recommend for root mealy bugs? they just resurfaced on my krohniana (you’re so right about hoya being a magnet for them haha), i previously had to clean them off from all the roots and used neem oil, but do you have any other tips?
The only sure way to rid root mealybugs is to completely remove old potting medium, remove roots and restart the plant. Basie Plants has videos on root mealybugs.
Remove all the soil, rinse thoroughly, and then if you’re not against it, use bonide systemic granules on the new soil , and follow instructions! The systemic granules also help the plant portion also. ( although I still give them a spray every month even if I don’t see any. I don’t wanna lose all my hard work and money to those stupid bugs lol.
I would also rinse with hydrogen peroxide 3%...I put the plant in a large pot/small bucket and flush through, leave it sitting for a while. Excellent for stopping any rot in the wounds left by the bugs.
Isolate, Captain Jacks Dead Bug Brew, rinse in the shower, cut off highly infected areas. Thats whats worked for me. Im all about trying to save a plant but I think this one just needs to be in the trash. 😅
But did you know they a relative of the cochineal bug, which is basically a giant mealy bug, and it is bright red, and that’s what is used in your lipstick yes you smear bugs on your lips😂
My trio star has a good amount of millie bugs… it was my mom’s plant that she didn’t want to deal with. it sucks if you have a foliage plant that gets it because there’s so many crevices in the new leaves that are little perfect spot for them.
Just getting over covid joy. And part way through I found spidermites on a few plants and one had a few melies I was not impressed. Didn't change the potting mix I will do that tomorrow morning. Thanks for the tips
@The Jungle Haven
Hello Clair,
What a disaster with the mealy bugs...
I work in the lab and when we want to use alcohol as a disinfectant, we dilute it with H20 dist. water. (70 vol % alcohol like ethanol or isopropanol and 30 vol % H20 dist.).
This is more effective than undiluted alcohol.
It is even more effective to add a few drops of surfactant (like washing-up liquid) to this 70/30 mixture...
This reduces the surface tension and can better wet the skin/shell of the mealybugs and thus work more effectively.
Wouldn't it also be an idea to immerse the plant upside down (without the roots having contact with this alcohol/water/surfactant mixture - e.g. a plastic bag around the roots/culture pot) in this mixture and let it work for about 2-3 minutes (moving back and forth)?
Good luck with your Hoya... and that it is finally over with the bugs
Greetings from Germany
Susanne
This is so useful, thanks so much Susanne! I did think about dunking the plant directly into a solution, I just didn't want to have to immerse the entire plant unless completely necessary (in hindsight, this might have been a better option considering how bad the infestation was).
Very interesting that diluted alcohol is more effective... do you know what the reason for this is?
I know about washing up liquid, and I use it for a lot of other pests (such as thrips), but have never thought do so for mealybugs.
💚
@@TheJungleHaven
Hello Clair,
When I worked in microbiology, we added a few drops of surfactant to the alcohol/water mixture because some microorganisms have a hydrophobic (water-repellent) membrane/shell and to get the alcohol in, the surfactant helps to make it.
I found the explanation in the 'Deutsche Apotheken Zeitung' (von 2020/02/19) -
"spruehen-oder-wischen-das-ist-hier-die-frage"
"...always dilute alcohols with water.
The effect of alcohols is based on a denaturation of proteins of the microorganisms. For this, however, the alcoholic disinfectant must also be able to penetrate the respective cell. This is only possible with alcohols diluted with water. Pure alcohol would cause the cell to dry out, but it cannot penetrate into the cell interior. The germs would therefore only be damaged externally and could multiply again after evaporation of the alcohol.
Isopropanol 70 per cent as the remedy of choice
Pharmacies almost exclusively use isopropanol 70 per cent (V/V) for surface disinfection. This alcohol, also called 2-propanol, is chemically the simplest non-cyclic, secondary alcohol. Its boiling point is 82 °C and the substance is miscible with water in any ratio.... "
I love your videos so much ... and especially the hanging plants.
For a few months now I have been stocking up my small collection (45-55 plants) and gradually converting it to semi-hydroponics (LECA) .... It is so important to use only mineral fertilisers and to have enough calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) in the nutrient solution... At the moment I am experimenting with fertiliser salts to achieve an optimal composition.... It's so much fun to watch the plants grow....
Kind regards
Susanne
@@TheJungleHaven Thanks so much for this video, and for almost sacrificing your beloved plant. Makes me feel much better prepared for my first mealy bug. While I've had plants for many years, I've (knock on wood) not had many pests. Please, please bring on the rescue videos, especially with plants like this - I would probably have just thrown the plant out as a forlorn hope!
For the alcohol: 70% is more effective against bacteria because 1) the 99% evaporates too quickly and 2) because the cell walls of the bacteria coagulate or shut down when faced with it while the 70% has enough water in it to weasel its way into the cell. Whether the effectiveness against insects is improved by dilution I don't know. Also "rubbing alcohol" is usually already diluted, check your bottle for how much isopropyl it really contains.
I tried this but it didn't do what eles can I do
When I change the soil can I dump the old in my yard
It would be really great if in videos like this you included a 2 or 4-week follow up clip at the end to show how to plant has bounced back!
Agreed!
I was told by an insect scientist that you should treat mealy bugs three times with a ten day rest in between. That should break their breeding cycle by killing all the “invisible” ones we never see. I have carried this out with great success 👍
Thank you!!
As in 10 days in between the 3 days ?
Will remember to do that. Just did first treatment today.
@@ambrosiaedwards8156yes
@@ambrosiaedwards8156it’s 3 times with 10 days between each treatment. 3 times within one month
I've always used q-tips and alcohol for pesky mealy bugs, but I love the idea of a paint brush.!!
Oh my god it’s like your a mind reader! Every time I have a plant worry you always seem to upload a video on it straight away lol 🙏🏾💕
And thank you, watching
aha same here I think that all the time. Thanks for helping us Claire 😅
It’s the AI in your devise that detects your thoughts.
I have goosebumps seeing them on my plants.😳
😢same
I like to use a spray bottle with the alcohol. All the best, I hope you will share an update on the plant.
My garbage truck comes on Wednesdays 🤔😂
LOL I just threw so many plants away with that white bulshit on it
It's much eaiser to take it to a sink or tub and rinse it off with water and then put the Alcohol in a spray bottle and spray the whole plant with it and change the soil of corse.
Dear remove it from soil wash it thoroughly and spray with dish soap. Replant with new soil. Let it dry and check again and clean with alcohol. You cant kill them like that.
Dunk in a bucket of dishwater for half an hour, works a treat on new plants that need repotting anyway. And follow up as said.
On Amazon for $13 if you buy ladybugs and you release them on there they go to work
Oh Claire just burn it!! 😂
I’m excited for this video!
Thanks so much for this video! Mealy bugs really creep me out
I use Bonide systemic on all my plants and reapply every 2 months. I find that works best at killing them and keeping them off the plant. It’s the only way I’ve been able to successfully treat a plant, and also just keeping them at bay. I’m in the US and for some reason you can’t buy it in stores or even get it shipped here, I order online and drive to the next state to pick it up in store.
So weird. Bonide systemic granules /spray etc are in every store and I’m in the US. Are you in California? Lol.
@@amberlynn1619 I’m in Connecticut, I found out it’s banned here and can’t be bought in stores or online. I drive 30 mins across the border to Massachusetts to get it, and I only use it on my indoor plants.
@@Jameson77777Do you know why it's banned? I live in Illinois and am interested in looking at it, not sure yet if it's available here though.
I bought 500 ladybugs and when I released them they all flew over to the neighbors yard. The funny thing is the neighbor's yard has no plants or trees, just grass, whereas my yard is a true garden with several trees, growing vegetables, decorative plants, shrubs, fruit trees, lots of grass and several native ferns and orchids. So why did my ladybugs just desert my garden.
Even the ladybugs where like “NOPE”
@@giulliabdp yeah, it doesn't help my self-esteem much, haha.
Should put it in a spray bottle and you can still go over with a brush. I’m dealing with them in my Hindu ropes and some other Hoyas also. It’s a weekly chore for me ☹️
I use clove oil with water, it kills on contact. Learned of this from an orchid. It also works on roaches, spiders, ants.
Fantastic to know that, thanks. I love the smell of cloves and I’m terrified of spiders so hopefully I’ll won’t need to use ‘Raid’ so much 😅
What’s the ratio you use? I’ve never been an essential oil fan but my mom has always given me a bunch. I’ll sometimes mix a mint, citronella, sage spray for spiders since there’s some nasty ones around my house but I’ve got spider mites atm 😬🤦🏻♀️😒 and am willing to try anything in conjunction with other treatments to keep all pests at bay.
DONT KILL SPIDERS
That's cruel snd ethically wrong. They're killing and eating the things you want to get rid of...
@@kateoc8 For the sake of my dogs and myself, I’m definitely spraying for widows and recluses. I don’t appreciate the screaming or moral grandstanding, but I do happen to have a breadth of appreciation for ecology and spent many years in academia within that field. I am ethical and responsible in my practices of necessity for safety reasons. You’re kind of a dick, though. Have a good evening.
Ditto. Kills me to hear people killing spiders! Without spiders we would be overrun by insects!@@kateoc8
Could you have mixed the alcohol strongly with water and submerged the foliage in a bowl or bag somehow to save time and get them all in the crevices?
This is a very tedious method and risky of leaf burn. Stick them in the shower, they come off so easily. Spray neem oil. Repeat after 3 -4 days.
Showering plants is a great way for pest control, it mimics what happens outside - rain to wash pests away.
This is an ongoing battle with my hoya compacta! My beautiful plant is half in size...from dead leavesI over a year and a half...even soaked the whole plant in soapy water for 30 min....and they appeared again!....keeping it outside in summer helps but they always find it once inside!....I gave it an alcohol swab inbetween the tight curled leaves....so I need to keep on top of it....I can't put it outside unil June 1st! Hope yours bounces back too! I am going to buy b bugs this year...because I can no longer stand living with thrip anymore....have a great day! ♡ from MN
Oh no Claire. Fellow plant Momma sympathy. I had a persistent case on my heirloom huuuge Croton, it took my 2 months of persistence checking, killing of the stragglers before she was free of them. Worth it! Shes thriving now pest free over a year. Hoping your Hoya will too!💚
Goodness! Those mealy bugs are the worst! I did have some on my ficus triangularis just recently so what i did was put pure rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and just sprayed it down especially on the the mealy bugs that were visible and even sprayed it on the soil, then i rinsed it thoroughly with water, and reppotted. I had to to the alcohol spray bottle one more time with a rinse and i do think that definitely helped keep them at bay! Good luck!!
Goodness! They are gross eh! I just use the rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Good luck!
I recently dunked my plants upside down in a bucket of soap and alcohol. Was that bad? I only lost 1. an alocasia cuprea cormling lost it's leaves. Not sure yet about the corm. my Ikea cabinet was infested with spider mites and I did not have the energy or mental capacity to deal with it. Several went straight in the bin. The rest I said "you survive or you don't this is what's happening". Lol.
They remind me of aphids on roses. I would always trim away the tender leaves and blooms that were overrun and then release my ladybugs on the rest. Best of luck to you!
Lately people were finding them on the bananas from the supermarket! I've seen some reports on the Facebook groups. I never thought of it but will be checking my shopping carefully.
I always, always, wash my bananas when I bring them home. They can harbor a lot worse things than even mealy bugs. Anecdotal, of course, but I heard of an instance where a black widow spider was found in a bunch. And of course, the pesky fruit flies are ubiquitous on bananas.
Oh dear! With a plant that size, you are much better off cutting the plant way down and starting over. Otherwise, you risk missing a lot of them, and they will always be 2 steps ahead of you. Cut it way back. Most of the leaves are too damaged anyway. Good luck!
Been dealing with Mealy Bugs on my Hoya for a long time! I've tried many natural remedies & alcohol too! Got busy with life & neglected it😢now I took have an infestation! I'll be trying your brush method & will replace the soil & give the pot a good wash! I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this as my Hoya is large & viney! It hangs in my window & looks lovely but soon it comes down with treatments! I pray I can effectively get it to a healthy state as I LOVE her! Thank you Clair!!!! I've recently started following you! ❤
I love your treatment tips! I recently went through this with my Hoya collection. My Compacta was the worst to clean. 😆 It's such a hard fight, but it's possible. Best of luck to you. 💕
I just got a variegated Hoya Compacta. What's your care routine? :)
How does the plant look like now?
I've had plants for ages but luckily never ever had to deal with any of them - until a few days ago that is, when I spotted a single one for the very first time on one of my succulents. 'Touch all the wood' I managed to prevent much worse, so far so good, haven't come across any new ones on my daily thorough checks. 🤞
I'd given up on a clivia & put it outside, intending to recover the pot after the winter, but after a heavy rain I couldn't see any mealybugs. I know they're still present, but hopefully will be now more manageable.
Perhaps if you change the soil anyways, take the plant out of the pot, flip it kind of upside down and wrap it in a bag tight and then take the plant and throughly spray to even dip the top half of the plant right into an alcohol dip, take the bag off, rinse off the roots and repot. There must be a simpler way.
I've seen lots of suggestions for neem oil, I've never used it on house plants but it's very effective around the garden.
I've been dealing with a fungus gnat infestation that started with my mum's spider plant. I've managed to save it by replacing the soil and cleaning the nursery pot and outer pot with hot water and alcohol. I also placed a few cape sundews to kill off any stray gnats. And it worked! Natural solutions are the best. Plus I gained some fast growing sundews :)
Fungus gnats just lay eggs in the soil they don't harm the plant. They are just super annoying. Mosquito bits work great kills the larvae! 🦟
@@opalkitten535the larvae can eat and damage the roots. Mosquito bits works great.
@@kray9438 it would have to be a really really extreme infestation
Clair, why don't you pick up a small spray bottle and spray the alcohol on the mealys and even mites for quick control of them? It's so much faster for that hoya. The plant will recover from that. Brushing it is still using it. I had not seen mealy for 3 decades. I brought in a papaya for my 50 gallon pond in kitchen and it spread into my huge asparagus fern, macho fern, bird of paradise and other plants in living room. I'm in much smaller one bedroom building an even bigger jungle. I was mealy free until just now found one small one on my tiny one leaf alocasia Jacklyn, killing the only small leaf left of the two or three on the cutting I bought. I had cleaned everything.
I had been told with spider mite prone plants that biologicals won't work unless you have the perfect humidity environment and all the conditions necessary for it to work. I have a massive rubber plant with them and the entire area is palms and banana and plants and nowhere to quarantine. They are controlled but not yet gone and trying to avoid using dr. Doom.
After treating for bugs you can put a buggy plant in a big white garbage bag...to prevent a spread to other plants....then check in 2 days again....and repeat every 2 days......little white dots of mealy bugs will keep comming back..it only takes 1 bug to start over.....a last ditch effort may have to be pulling the plant out of pot knock off all soil rinse off roots in a bucket outdoors....finally put entire plant in bucket and submerge for 20 mins....take out and spray off everywhere...stems and under leaves too. Put back in white garbage bag after wrapping roots with damp paper towels.
Check in a couple days may need to repeat
Hi Claire, fortunately I haven’t had mealy bugs up to now, thank goodness. Where did the dead mealies go when you brushed the alcohol on them? Did they drop off or did the shower wash them off? When I’ve wiped scale insects off with HP using a cotton bud they would end up in the container I used for dipping. 😟
Ive got a few phaleonopsis orchids..and tons of other plants. The horrid little mealy mofos only seem to go for the orchids.
I attack em with fairy liquid solution, cotton buds, wipe leaves with 3%hydrogen peroxide etc.
The struggle is real...
what's fairy liquid? this is how my infestation started! My coworker brought in an orchid from home that was covered in them, it eventually died and now most of my other plants have them and I keep spraying with 70% alcohol and they keep coming back!!!
My concern with an infestation like that is the roots. The mealies love to get down in the roots then it becomes an even worse nightmare. That always ends in rebooting the plant. This is one of the reasons I stay away from compactas and Kringle.
Just subscribed😁love your doggo😍 i have a mealy bug problem, and im happy i found your video.
Thank you.💐
Last summer, my plain green hoya carnosa came down with a bad infestation and decimated my girl. It killed two thirds of her vines. I finally eradicated the bugs and she is in recovery and putting out new growth, quickly. She did manage to share them with my baltic blue Philodendron, a very leafy plant. I treated it for weeks, but it got so bad, I took cuttings and pitched the mother plant. The cuttings are doing well and filling up the pot, but holy cow, the plant was so beautiful before the mealies got to her; tragic, what the little f*$#ckers did to her. Recently, I found a few on two of my Dieffenbachia, normally trouble-free for me. I have struggled with mealies for the last year and I am over it. Hoping I don't find any more, I might have a melt-down and just start pitching plants...
Just came back from holidays and found couple of my Hoya’s have mealy bug,GRRRR,,😡😡😡 thank you for that valuable information! Natalie ❤
Rather than brushing on alcohol in spots, is a foliar spray using an alcohol solution a viable course? Or will that be too risky to the plant.
oh Paige I needed this vide post today!
This is exactly what I have been searching for! I have just started to collect Hoyas. I have three. I want to know which ones are prone to bugs and if I should spray anything on them when I come into the home with a new plant. How long should I quarantine the plant? In your opinion? Thanks!!
I got a Ficus benghalensis a few weeks ago and it arrived with a few mealy bugs. I got them off with alcohol and treated the whole plant with a dilute solution, but turns out it wasn't dilute enough and all the leaves got burnt and fell off 😆 they're growing back now though!!
I did this on two of my plants and I had to propagate them as the roots died! It is still looking okay. I keep it moist and can see a tini tiny new growth point starting to form
I've always just used a spray bottle on the mist setting.
yes water only spray those that you can see.
Can you spray the alcohol and brush the bugs away?
Fast , easiest and cheapest way that actually works in 1 to 3 treatments within 1 week.
Thick leaf Hoyas (or other plants)
90+% rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle, completely spray the entire plant until dripping wet, let it stay on the plant for 5-10 minutes depending on size of plant and/or infestation, rinse with room temperature water.
Thin leaf plants, 50% water/ 50% alcohol. Repeat in 3-4 days if needed.
Add Systemic granules as directed after watering, lightly water them in. (For indoor plants) to avoid issue again.
Natural treatments take months to work , IF they work at all.
Superb comment. Running a plant store and this is what we do.
What about outdoor plants? I found them on my cactus. I don't use systemic granules outdoors because I want to encourage natural predators (I'm in Florida)
@@jesskurti7517 that's a personal decision we each have to make, I personally use systemic granules on indoor and outdoor plants. I remove blooms/flowers to stop pollinators from getting direct contact. It's a decision you need to weigh the pros and cons with.
I use it on Cacti, Euphorbias and other Succulents.
@@jesskurti7517I use rubbing alcohol at 1/4 &3/4 water for Cacti/other Succulents, but Rubbing alcohol is basically a band-aid for the infestation. Natural predators doesn't stand a chance, they are highly outnumbered , especially in bug paradise...Florida USA .
I know firsthand, I'm in the Panhandle.
Thank you for all of your great tips and videos! What is that beautiful, big plant on the floor in the right of the video, with the long leaves?
Ficus allii
I found mealybugs on a plant I bought two weeks ago. I tried to treat the plant and made some cuttings, but found new mealybugs on the cuttings just a week after the treatment. As I read that it's almost impossible to get rid of mealybugs, I tossed the plant to the bin yesterday and tried to clean every surface it got in contact with...
Also I read the eggs and larvae aren't susceptible to treatment, so they might come back within weeks/months... :s I'm so afraid that they already have spread to my other plants.
I hope she had more luck with the treatment.
How long did it take for that infestation to happen? I just found 1 on my BOP!
Do you use neem oil around plants that you have released good bugs into?
Hi very helpful, regarding putting the plant in a bag does it need any holes for air ? Any idea how long I can keep the bag cover? Pls help me trying to control pests from spreading! 😭
Shake all soil off roots and submerge in dish soap,alcohol and water..leave for 15 min..let dry replant with fresh soil..
Have you done a follow up for this plant please?
Thank you, Claire, so helpful!
Now what I’d mix dried neem leaf powder with water .. would that also work?
great video, thank you!
Is this why the krinkle was looking sad in the Last Hoya video maybe?
Can you tell me your dog's name and what breed they are? They are beautiful and remind me of my departed sweet dog 🐕 ❤️
What if you just take an alcohol spray bottle and spray down the plant? Would that work and be faster???
Why don’t you put the alcohol in a spray bottle and spray them?
May I use a spray bottle instead of a paint brush?
Like your use of a brush. This may seem heretical, but have you tried a pet flea collar and plastic covering?
Can I use a spray bottle of alcohol rather than a brush? (With being careful not to get on the soil.)
What do I do with my birds of paradise? My leaves grow in a tight spiral and once the leaves open you see mealy bugs
They make this hobby such a hassle. They are always coming back even whatever I do. It's harder when you have lots of plants. I used to be freaked out by them, now I just squish them with my bare hands when I walk by and see one.
same. I have so many plants. I literally don't know what to do
Same
Doesn't the alcohol damage the plant too?
Hi Clair, I have a question. I’m dealing with root mealy bug infestation 😢 in my streptocarpus house plant collection. I Have almost lost three and have three more looking very sad. I’m unsure of how to treat them as there’s no bugs on the leaves, they are literally being eaten from the bottom up. Would flushing the pots / soil with diluted hydrogen peroxide work and if so what ratio would be best? The pots are no bigger than 15cm wide. The only other option I can think of is purchasing a strong insecticide, but again not sure which one would work best. I have provanto bug killer spray and have sprayed the affected plants but no luck in getting rid of the bugs. I also unpotted two of the worst affected and washed all the roots off but as streps have very fine roots like African violets it shocked them and they didn’t cope well, so Im now trying to save them by keeping them in my prop box. 😔 any advice would be brilliant! I’m absolutely devastated as I love my strep plants so much, i have over 20 in my collection and I fear I will loose them 😩 .
Methylated spirit is good, years ago you could get a systemic insecticide which just wipe them out including the root mealybug but for some reason, I can’t seem to find it anymore.😢
They can come in on fruit & veg too...
Having them on cacti is an absolute NIGHTMARE
Use that brush and gloves. Do the bugs ever get impaled on the thorns?
They're on my outside cacti. How do I get rid of them??
Or put the dirt in the oven...an add to it later. Also would love to know, an I mean no offense...but if the bug are under the leaves why do people only spray the top? Would you not spray the underside or both...
or just cook the soil in the microwave instead of tossing it?
Pheromones sticky traps ... the males fly to the pheromones and get stuck.. job done .. eggs laid are infertile ... repeat 3 times every 10 days
I’d just spray or dip it in an organic bug killer. Or release that plant to the plant graveyard (trash).
Can you not use hydrogen peroxide?
If I was you I would submerge the whole plant in a bowl of water or your bath for a bit, as well as showering it. I’m sure they should drown when submerged in water or float off the plant. Anyway I hope your alcohol, shower and neem oil worked and your plant is doing better 😊
so helpful! what would you recommend for root mealy bugs? they just resurfaced on my krohniana (you’re so right about hoya being a magnet for them haha), i previously had to clean them off from all the roots and used neem oil, but do you have any other tips?
The only sure way to rid root mealybugs is to completely remove old potting medium, remove roots and restart the plant.
Basie Plants has videos on root mealybugs.
Remove all the soil, rinse thoroughly, and then if you’re not against it, use bonide systemic granules on the new soil , and follow instructions! The systemic granules also help the plant portion also. ( although I still give them a spray every month even if I don’t see any. I don’t wanna lose all my hard work and money to those stupid bugs lol.
I would also rinse with hydrogen peroxide 3%...I put the plant in a large pot/small bucket and flush through, leave it sitting for a while. Excellent for stopping any rot in the wounds left by the bugs.
I lost mine because of this. I killed it trying to treat it.
Isolate, Captain Jacks Dead Bug Brew, rinse in the shower, cut off highly infected areas. Thats whats worked for me.
Im all about trying to save a plant but I think this one just needs to be in the trash. 😅
Can i just spry tge alcohol... it would be easier
Mealy bug killed my crimson queen... And hoya Chelsea.... Sad for their loss...
Attacking my hoya krohiana now😭
I use a spray bottle and just drech them lol
I have a MASSIVE pothos with an infestation right now 🥴
But did you know they a relative of the cochineal bug, which is basically a giant mealy bug, and it is bright red, and that’s what is used in your lipstick yes you smear bugs on your lips😂
Just wondering if you could have just given the plant a good shower and send the bugs down the drain.
My trio star has a good amount of millie bugs… it was my mom’s plant that she didn’t want to deal with. it sucks if you have a foliage plant that gets it because there’s so many crevices in the new leaves that are little perfect spot for them.
I had this with my hoyas in the end i got rid of them all 😢
i have mealybugs in my begonia ferox rn !! :(
Just getting over covid joy. And part way through I found spidermites on a few plants and one had a few melies I was not impressed. Didn't change the potting mix I will do that tomorrow morning. Thanks for the tips
That really got too out of hand
BUY LADYBUGS n theyll be gone