Re: aphids and mandevilla
- To:
- Subject: Re: aphids and mandevilla
- From: M* T*
- Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2000 23:18:22 -0500
Barb,
Do they fly around when disturbed? Mature white fly not only make a
sticky mess, but fly up when you brush the plants leaves - they're
white with white wings. The immature ones just sit there and suck
plant sap and excrete honeydew. They are hard to get rid of, if it
is white fly. I understand there is a biological control...can't
remember which insect it is and don't have time to go do a search
right now as am just taking an email break...but would be worth
looking into.
Otherwise, sticky traps do catch the mature ones.
I find that dry, heated indoor air is what really encourages white
fly and spider mites on house plants. Aphids seem to appear mostly
in my greenhouse, which is quite humid. Aphids come in a range of
color from very pale tan through green to black. If you look closely
at them, they have legs and move around when disturbed. Immature
white fly just sit there.
Scale also just sit, but they look like little flattish bumps more
than an insect...no discernible legs, eyes, etc. They, too, can come
in several colors from pale tan through black.
Try getting a large saucer - much bigger than you'd ordinarily put
under that plant - and filling it with pea gravel or some other type
of grit. Then keep it full just to the underside of the grit with
water....not so the bottom of the pot is sitting in water. Helps
increase humidity right around the plant. This discourages red
spider mite for sure and helps with white fly...hate white fly!
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
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> From: Barbara Tilton <tilton44@erols.com>
> Date: Monday, December 18, 2000 8:11 AM
>
> Hi all and Season's Greetings!
>
> This fall, I brought inside a mandevilla that just never grew much
in
> the garden. Yikes! It has taken off. It made it up about 7' and
even
> with frequent cutting back and wrapping it around a grapevine ball
atop
> a tall trellis it's again aiming for the ceiling. The flowers are
such
> a beautiful and cheery pink! My problem is that I think it has
aphids
> (I'm not much on pests...). They're small, white and creating a
sticky
> mess.
>
> The solutions I've read all involve spraying the plant with a
garden
> hose, but since it's quite tall and in my kitchen, I'm hoping there
are
> other options. Any recommendations? I also read about placing a
small
> board covered with petroleum jelly nearby to snag them. Anyone
tried
> anything like that?
>
> Thanks and here's hoping your holiday are bug free!
> Barb (zone 6/7, southeastern PA)
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