Re: HELP !
- To: i*@egroups.com
- Subject: Re: [iris-talk] HELP !
- From: B* S*
- Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 11:12:33 -0400
>If it is cottony, sticky stuff, it may well be whitefly, as was mentioned.
>Easy to get rid of by spraying with Safer's Insecticidal Soap (or, I think
>a mix of water and any soap would do the same), or you can paint/spray
>with rubbing alcohol. IF it is whitefly, of course.
Sounds like you are confusing whitefly with mealybugs. Whiteflies are
obvious insects that take flight when disturbed, while mealies stay put and
exude a waxy, cottony coating that becomes sticky from "honeydew."
Whitefly larvae are small, green and immobile and suck out juices.
John's remedy of yellow cards painted with Tanglefoot works well for
trapping the adults, but if you have a really bad infestation, you have to
spray. The best sprays are the environmentally safe ones, like
insecticidal soap or sprays containing pyrethrin (a natural insecticide
derived from painted-daisy flowers). You have to spray every few days for
at least ten days to two weeks to catch all the life history stages. For
small infestations or a few plants, House-and-Garden Raid works well--it
uses pyrethrinoids. The spray must touch the insects to kill them.
Mealybugs can simply be wiped off the leaves, either with a cloth dampened
with rubbing alcohol, or just fingers. Stay alert and do this whenever
they appear.
Mealybugs are rare on irises anywhere but whiteflies attack them in the
western parts of the country, particularly in California. Ben Hager wrote
that he considered them one of the major pests in his garden.
Bill Shear
Department of Biology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
(804)223-6172
FAX (804)223-6374
email<bills@mail.hsc.edu>
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