I have a small gardenia in a pot that has been plagued by mealybugs. I've been brushing them out of the stem, leaf and bud crevices with a stiff artist brush, washing the plant with a dish detergent spray, and spraying the plant with a "safe" insecticide. But, these little critters keep reappearing. Where do they come from? How can I get rid of them once and for all? I'm finally getting a few good flower buds which have not dropped, but only because I've been brushing off the darn things every other day.
mealybugs
I don't know which spray you're using, but I've had wonderful luck with Safer Insecticidal Spray for "Roses & Ornamentals" on my orchid collection that recently became thoroughly infested with Mealybugs.
The problem is you do have to repeat the treatment a certain number of times - the initial spraying, then a repeat in 5-7 days, & then repeating the series again in another couple of weeks to be sure you've gotten any strays.
For mealy bugs and all infestations this summer,I wash my plants with 1 tsp of dawn dish detergent and 1 cup of water. I spray it on then rinse it off. I hand wash the leaves and stems. Then I spray the plant with 1/2 strength rubbing alcohol and water, then I rinse this off. It left my plant a little bedraggled for a while, but it got rid of mealy bugs and plants are reviving. I'm just saying it worked for me.
Thanks for the tips. Haven't had a gardenia bloom in months!!! I'm willing to try pretty much anything at this point.
How do Gardenia react to rose pride, fertilizer and systemic insecticide?, --it has worked for me on other problem ornamental loving insects.