RE: mealybug

I'm resending this message as it was "held up" in cyberspace!

I don't remember who asked about mealybug, but here's my two cents!

There are two different types of mealybugs (actually there are probably
more).  The one that lives in the soil is called root mealybug or
Pritchard's mealybug.  It is very hard to control without chemicals, but
I have attempted to get rid of it by removing most of the soil from the
root ball and washing the roots with soapy water and rinsing them off.
You should avoid introducing a plant to your garden or even worse your
greenhouse with Pritchard's mealy bug.  It can kill your plants!  Don't
use a common tray as that a good way for it to move from plant to plant
when you water. The less harmful common mealy bug it easier to eradicate
with diligent washing and hand removal,  Again, I use soapy water.
Check out these photos to see root mealybug.  It looks sort of like
perlite, but it's soft!

Root Mealybug: http://cactusclinic.telenet.be/ca_rootmealybug.html

Chris
Long Island, NY
Zone 7

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