How to get rid of mealy bugs?

Question

I have a rooftop garden with several pots and 18 varities of Hibiscus. One I had an attack of aphids which I controlled with insecticide. Latest is a severe attack of mealy bugs on hibiscus. They seem to be immune to spraying, appearing again within a couple of days.

Answer 1

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Mealybug Destroyer, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri 25 Adults
Cryptolaemu are the small "Dark Brown Ladybugs", with an orange head and tail. The larvae are up to 13mm long and are white with a wax like covering. The pupae are found in sheltered places; stems, underside of leaves, greenhouse structures.

Preferred food: The adults and larvae feed on all stages of the mealy bugs. Young Cryptolaemus and larvae prefer mealybug eggs and smaller stages of the mealybug. When no mealybugs are available Cryptolaemus will also feed on aphids and scale.
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Use "Delta traps", and a pheromone lure inside with yellow sticky traps to which the pheromone lure is fixed by means of a paperclip.
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Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How to get rid of mealy bugs?
I have a rooftop garden with several pots and 18 varities of Hibiscus. One I had an attack of aphids which I controlled with insecticide. Latest is a severe attack of mealy bugs on hibiscus. They seem to be immune to spraying, appearing again within a couple of days.

Answer 3

Use rubbing alcohol with a Q-tip and apply to all mealy bugs every few days until gone or apply Safer soap ulltra fine oil spray

Answer 4

As others have said alcohol on a Q-tip works but I had them on a huge grapevine ivy covering a two story inside wall in a sun room, and they could not be reached by hand, so I got a systemic from Home Depot and that seemed to do the trick. I repeat the treatment every once in a while to keep them at bay, however. A systemic is a poison that you mix into the soil, water it in, is drawn into the plant and when the sucking insects do their nibbling on your plant they are poisoned.

Answer 5

Put the boxes in zip lock bags and place it in the freezer to see which boxes are contaminated. The cold temps kill the bugs so you'll see them in the baggie. Throw them out in the garbage. Take everything out of your pantry and check for the bugs because other foods get contaminated quickly. Wash down the shelves with dish detergent and water. Let them dry before returning items to the shelves. They make a spray to put on the shelves, but I'm leery of chemicals near food. Since the bugs emanate from the warehouse or store, you need to be proactive. I put all flours, pastas, rice, dried goods like puddings, cornstarch, instant cereals in the zip lock bags. The extra boxes, I keep in the freezer. Since I've done this, I've had no problems with the bugs. I read the bugs don't harm you as long as you cook the product, but I threw everything out of my pantry. It was disgusting. One box from the store made for a huge infestation. Yuck!

Answer 6

You might try a combination of 1 part mild dish detergent to 3 parts cool water. Pour into a spray bottle and spray your plants thoroughly.

Answer 7

Insecticidal soap would be my suggestion,works quickly if you can reach all areas.Ladybugs are good if they are there already in enough numbers to do good.Systemic is also good for reaching larger plants or when you can't spray in sensitive accounts

Answer 8

I've Used water and alcohol in a spray bottle.

Answer 9

Back in school my teacher encounter those bugs they are hard to get rid of . the only thing that was successful was to to rotate the insecticide we use because if you continue to use only the the one they will develop resistance to the insecticide and still eat your hibiscus.