Marathon (Was: RE: aphids and mandevilla/ now mealy bugs)

Marilyn and others,

I've been using Marathon for several years to control aphids and other
sucking insects on my greenhouse plants. You are right, it is expensive
($95.00 for 5 lbs.) but you use so little per plant, it goes a long way. 

One or more of Bayer's new home garden sprays contains the active
ingredient in Marathon, Imicloprid (sp?). Check out their Rose Defense.

One caution though...Marathon is NOT effective against red spider mites,
and in fact, may make infestation by mites worse.  I've never figured out
if that is because the mites are no longer competing with the aphids, or
whether the nurse ants (which leave when the aphids leave) do something to
discourage mites...But before I started using the Marathon, I had very
little trouble with RSM and now they are a major problem. I give my
hibiscus a shower just about every day and spray every couple of weeks with
a mixture of Safer's Soap and Sunspray Hort Oil, but if I miss a spraying
the RSM just explode.

Gerry

>Judy & Diane,
> I have been using a systemic that works for most sucking insects called
>Marathon.  You sprinkle an 1/8 tsp. (4" pot) on top of the soil and water it
>in gently.  It lasts for months.  It seems be taken up by the roots faster
>when the soil temperature is warm and the plants are actively growing.  But,
>I just treated everything in my indoor light garden again because it has
>been a year since the last treatment.  This stuff is expensive and was only
>offered to commercial growers, but I read somewhere that it is now available
>in smaller quantities for home gardeners.  I was so desperate I would have
>paid any price for something I didn't have to spray and  really worked.
>There wasn't enough rubbing alcohol in the world to get rid of those darn
>mealies!
>Marilyn Dube'
>Natural Designs Nursery
>Portland, Oregon
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From:	owner-perennials@mallorn.com [owner-perennials@mallorn.com] On
>Behalf Of Warner
>Sent:	Wednesday, December 20, 2000 5:02 PM
>To:	perennials@mallorn.com
>Subject:	Re: aphids and mandevilla/ now mealy bugs
>
>The worst problem in the GH for me off and on has been mealy bugs.  Oh my,
>> that is a long sad story.  I have had to toss so many of my tropical
>> Begonias, Streptocarpus and Hoyas because of them until I finally found a
>> product that gives great control. I suppose mealies can get on perennials,
>> but they seem to prefer the tropicals in my GH.   I have never had them on
>> anything outside, but I'll bet it is possible in warmer climates.
>
>PLEASE!  what controlled the mealy bugs?  I've got them on a collection of
>Streps I keep under lights in my basement--they got on outside in the
>summer, I think,  and I can't get rid of them.  I've tried all kinds of
>aerosol sprays, and just when I think they're gone--I find one.  I really
>don't want to throw them all out--so I just keep spraying.  Judy Warner
>
>
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