This is my Euphorbia stellata The variations of the Euphorbia's are amazing. Spring is coming and I am cleaning up all my plants. It was so fabulous not having a bug problem this year! I used Merit and destroyed the mealybugs! I have never been able to get rid of them. Then I used Enstar and Talstar together and that was the end of the whitefly and aphids. Yipee! I know many people like natural but I have too many plants and just couldn't take it.
I am curious about the pesticides you're using. Where did you find them? Are those the retail names of the products? I'm always looking for something that works on mealy bugs and scale insects. I also grow orchids and wonder if the same products are safe for them.
I find sometimes natural just isn't enough, and then I have no problem using other means. By the way, I love you photos and would love to acquire specimens like what you have.
Hi, you can get Merit from Rosemania. It is hard to find. It literally melts the mealies and I have had them back. I have orchids and african violets and they didn't harm them at all.
Thank you Sally! Winter seems to bring out all the nasty little critters and I grow tired of removing them with 70% alcohol. I have an adenium that I'm treating for scale and would like to try something like what you have recommended. Again, I really like the pics of your specimens!
Merit will kill scale, too. There is no smell and dosage is only 1/10th tsp/gallon. It seems kind of expensive but you only use a little bit. It is a systemic so once it is in you don't use often.
SallyD, what a gorgeous plant! I love Euphorbias too...the variation of forms is just incredible, as you said.
I was taught locally by succulent-o-philes to use alcohol on a q-tip to kill both scale and mealy bugs. Get it good and soggy, and touch them as they are both wax exuding insects and the alcohol strips the waxy coating off. Works great for me. And the mealies grow real well in the PNW.
I am not against the use of pesticides on plant collections, but mine has always been a windowsill collection and I would rather not use pesticides in my home.
I do use 70% alcohol to remove visible mealies and scale but sometimes you need more drastic measures, especially with plants that have lots of tiny or thin leaves and the crawlers are still around. I'm not enthusiastic about pesticides but in order to protect a large collection, it may be a viable solution. I'm not above hand picking the offending creatures from the plants, but here in the northeast where our plants must spend a good deal of time indoors and exposed to whatever the others are harboring, a good effective pesticide can be a god send! And I'm talking about the lowest dose possible. During the warmer months, the plants get lots of fresh air and sunshine and are watched to be sure they don't bring in any pests when it's time to come in for the fall/winter. My son is a chem major and is an asset when it comes to treating my plants - he's the one who told me to use 70% alcohol and not the 90% as it is more effective to penetrate the waxy coating. I will be trying some more organic methods of pest prevention this coming year on both the succulents and orchids in my collection.
