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Re: Mealybugs

David McDonald wrote:
> 
> Hello all,
> 
> I wistfully look back upon the days when mealybugs were unknown to me.
> But as it is, I have persistent mealybugs on a big Hoya carnosa.  I know
> this is a problem for many indoor gardeners, so I thought I'd solicit
> advice from you.  I'm familiar with the following approaches:
> 
> a)  Insecticidal soap or a soap/oil/water mix;
> b)  Systemic insecticide;
> c)  Isopropyl alcohol, either dabbed on or sprayed.
> 
> I've tried these all, in some cases reapplying once a few days after the
> first treatment.. In every case, the bugs appear gone for a week or
> two, and then begin to reappear.  The plant is far away from my other
> plants, so I don't think it's a case of the bugs being re-introduced to
> the plant.  I can't seem to find out much about the life-cycle of
> mealybugs, but it seems to me they must have a developmental stage in
> which they're more or less invisible.  Do I just need to reapply one of
> the above treatments more relentlessly, and more often, perhaps several
> times even when the bugs seem gone?  Or is the idea of being entirely and
> permanently free of mealybugs just a foolish dream?
> 
> Thanks,
> David
> 
> David McDonald
> dxm@santafe.edu
When you say "in some cases reapplying once a few days after the
first treatment", do you mean you reapply once every few days
thereafter, or once, a few days later?

Molly in Iowa (Zone 4)
References:
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