Re: Fighting the fuzz

Hi all, 
     I think it worth mentioning that there is a very mobile crawler stage of the mealy bug. It can be carried from plant to plant on your hands (and perhaps clothing), so it is best not to be handling infected plants and then going to uninfected ones.  Also, scale can hide in the soil around fern roots.  Scale are not necessarily susceptible to cold temps.  I was once shocked to observe fully grown and crawler stages springing to life on plant material freshly collected form under a snow bank in midwinter!!!  It was pretty horrifying!

Betty in South Bend IN where it is 
sunny, mid 20's, and perhaps 3" snow on the ground.


-----Original Message-----
>From: Judith Jones <judith@fancyfronds.com>
>Sent: Jan 15, 2008 1:12 PM
>To: ferns@hort.net
>Subject: Re: [ferns] Fighting the fuzz
>
>Hello,
>
>    Wettable Orthene is not truly benign to the sparyer despite the 
>manufacturers claim.   The fumes from opening a can can bring on a 
>migraine headache in minutes.  However it is remarkably safe for ferns 
>even mature Adiantum foliage.  There are Orthene aerosol bombs that can 
>be used in conjunction with Resmethrin aerosol bombs for large enough 
>enclosed areas such as greenhouses.These do have a min and max 
>temprature range for efficacy.   But one of my favorite methods of 
>dealing with scale or mealy infestations  that folks pass along to me is 
>to wipe or spray with rubbing alcohol.  This method is more labor 
>intensive but it does guarantee a close examination of the plants.  I 
>have never had any foliar damage from using a rubbing alcohol wipe.  I 
>have even used a spritz bottle to get fine foliage or difficult crown 
>areas.  If you miss and spray yourself you will just be very sterile.  
>Isolating the infected plants is a good idea as scale insects have a 
>flying stage that greenhouse fans waft about into everything! 
>
>Judith I. Jones
>Fancy Fronds Nursery
>
>
>Shelley Dillard wrote:
>
>>Hi All!
>>Won't use Orthene.  Nasty stuff.
>>I've had great success with Safe-T-Side oil on many ferns (not maidenhairs).
>>Slight damage, but kills the scale.
>>
>>Also, for earwigs, cutworms, sowbugs, pillbugs, and slugs I use a new 
>>product (to me, anyway) Sluggo-Plus.  It contains spinosad, a 
>>naturally occurring soil dwelling bacterum and iron phosphate.  So 
>>far it's been effective.
>>
>>Shelley
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>At 12:38 PM 1/14/2008, you wrote:
>>  
>>
>>>Anyone have a good solution for fighting the white fuzz I've got on my
>>>ferns?  I've relegated several ferns to the outdoors since they
>>>developed a scale (?) problem, but with the collection I've got, I
>>>really don't want to run the risk of this going viral and taking over
>>>the yard.  I made the mistake of bringing in one fern last year that it
>>>turns out had been under a tree with a scale infestation, and now I'm up
>>>a creek.  I know ferns are notorious for sensitivity to pesticides and
>>>such, and every label I've read says 'not for ferns,' or something
>>>equally as cautionary...  Do any of these garlic sprays or whatever
>>>actually work?
>>>
>>>   Thanks much all!
>>>
>>>     Darryl
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>>______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
>>Shelley Dillard
>>Propagator
>>Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania
>>100 Northwestern Ave.
>>Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19118
>>phone:  215-247-5777 x118
>>email:  rdillard@pobox.upenn.edu
>>web site:  http://www.morrisarboretum.org
>>
>>There are two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a 
>>miracle.  The other is as though everything is a miracle.
>>Albert Einstein  
>>
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