Author Topic: submerging potted plants to kill pests (Scale, whitefly, mites, ants, aphids)  (Read 12112 times)

FlyingFoxFruits

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I have done this before to kill ants, but never mites (or what i believe to be mites)...there are some very small white bugs (almost microscopic) that are distorting the new growth on a few of my jaboticabas.

I tried a few pesticides, but they didn't seem to work!

before I try any more pesticides, I'm going to try drowning them!

I put the plants under water totally..where I will leave them for 48hrs.

Being that these little creatures aren't aquatic, I think this should drown them!

I will let you know if my attempt to drown them is successful!
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cos

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be sure to use a wetting agent !!!

cos

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also forgot you will not have to soak that long as I kill earwigs in about ONE minute.
good luck

FlyingFoxFruits

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also forgot you will not have to soak that long as I kill earwigs in about ONE minute.
good luck

I wonder how long it really takes for ants, scale and mites??


I'm just going to make sure they're good and saturated...the jabos don't mind...if it was any other tree I wouldn't be so courageous.
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FlyingFoxFruits

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be sure to use a wetting agent !!!

My only wetting agent was water!


I will let you know how it pans out...the trees are totally underwater.
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ScottR

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I think I read or heard some where that ants can be in water for like a week before die!! Could be wrong or maybe false remembrance ;) ??? 8) Good luck Adam keep us posted on bud removal :(.

ccamp

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Many insects can just close up the spiracles and survive for quite some time.  But I would think it to be interesting to try.  I think of this similar to fish medicine; oftentimes a brief change in salinity will cause the parasites to leave the fish but not kill the fish; maybe this could work in the plant world in a similar parallel.

FlyingFoxFruits

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I figured these little guys are not usually found underwater...so it's gonna really suck for them over the next 48hrs!

they just live right on the leaf surface...so it's not like they have a nest that's waterproof.

i think some of the ants can waterproof their colony (?maybe i'm wrong?...i believe I've killed fire ants in about 24hrs with this same technique)

now you guys are making me wonder if I should leave the plants submerged for a week.... :D

Many insects can just close up the spiracles and survive for quite some time.  But I would think it to be interesting to try.  I think of this similar to fish medicine; oftentimes a brief change in salinity will cause the parasites to leave the fish but not kill the fish; maybe this could work in the plant world in a similar parallel.
I think I read or heard some where that ants can be in water for like a week before die!! Could be wrong or maybe false remembrance ;) ??? 8) Good luck Adam keep us posted on bud removal :(.
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RodneyS

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You may want to give insect frass (mealworm castings) a try.  Besides having macro & micronutrients & beneficial bacteria, frass also has chitin & chitosan.

gnappi

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I got a Tikal sapodilla last summer with red ants in the root ball, I bagged it at the nursery, sprayed some RAID in the bag and closed it up. The next day there were lots of dead ants but a LOT of live ones coming out to see the daylight :-)

I filled my wheelbarrow with water and dunked it for two days, ants were all dead. Just to make sure when I planted it I sprayed RAID on the top of the root ball and never saw another red ant again.
Regards,

   Gary

KarenRei

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I've had success with long-term dunking before but never dunking *alone*. Dunk, and then followup with whatever pest-control method you would normally use afterwards to prevent them from reestablishing.

You mentioned mites and said you said you tried "pesticides" - which ones? Spider mites aren't insects; most insecticides don't work on them, and a disturbingly large number actually serve to increase their populations. So be warned. Never use a pesticide on spider mites without actually checking first that it's rated to kill them. In fact, that should be a rather general rule for pest control... IPM and all that.

« Last Edit: February 16, 2015, 06:41:40 AM by KarenRei »
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Doglips

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I know for a fact fire ants can go hours fully submerged. 
I had a dirt filled pot once, no plant in it.  In the deep freeze for one day, there was still fire ant movement, 4 days did the trick.
Devise a way to capture the buggers.  Not going to help much if they run to next pot while escaping a bath.

From the sea

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Fire ants will raft when they get flooded out, but I found if you add a drop of soap they cant raft any more, When my yard floods and they are floating around I soap them and they die, helps keep the population down in my yard.

Doglips

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Didn't know about the soap.
Actually I like the raft on pavement.
Very theraputic to be able to stomp on 100 of them at a time.  A little pay back for the pain and suffering.  And nothing is more organic than the bottom of my shoe.

FlyingFoxFruits

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worked like a charm...killed everything...even all the earthworms (which stunk like hell)...

I will let you know if these bugs resurface from their watery grave.
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LivingParadise

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I have done this. I got an insane outbreak on the potted plants on my balcony of aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies all at the same time. Although there are some ladybugs in my yard, which like to eat aphids and other pests, they don't fly up high enough to hang out on the balcony. So I immersed the pots completely underwater held down with a weight for 24 hrs. Killed everything but the plant, and since then the plants I did this with have been healthy and pest-free. I wish I could do this with my in-ground plants! But that is not so easy... :)

FlyingFoxFruits

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I have done this. I got an insane outbreak on the potted plants on my balcony of aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies all at the same time. Although there are some ladybugs in my yard, which like to eat aphids and other pests, they don't fly up high enough to hang out on the balcony. So I immersed the pots completely underwater held down with a weight for 24 hrs. Killed everything but the plant, and since then the plants I did this with have been healthy and pest-free. I wish I could do this with my in-ground plants! But that is not so easy... :)

Haha!

That's one of the benefits of growing trees in pots!

Thanks for posting your experience.

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Doglips

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I have done this. I got an insane outbreak on the potted plants on my balcony of aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies all at the same time. Although there are some ladybugs in my yard, which like to eat aphids and other pests, they don't fly up high enough to hang out on the balcony. So I immersed the pots completely underwater held down with a weight for 24 hrs. Killed everything but the plant, and since then the plants I did this with have been healthy and pest-free. I wish I could do this with my in-ground plants! But that is not so easy... :)
Ladybugs don't erradicate.  Food gets low for them they fly away look for greener pastures.  They can reduce populations but it is unlike that they will eliminate anything.

FlyingFoxFruits

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yes, and another thing about ladybird beetles, u may not realize...some can bite!

I had one land on my arm, and I watched put it's head down to my skin, and proceed to take a fat bite, like a cockroach (which can also bite).  It didn't hurt that bad, but I was surprised to see this happen!

I have done this. I got an insane outbreak on the potted plants on my balcony of aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies all at the same time. Although there are some ladybugs in my yard, which like to eat aphids and other pests, they don't fly up high enough to hang out on the balcony. So I immersed the pots completely underwater held down with a weight for 24 hrs. Killed everything but the plant, and since then the plants I did this with have been healthy and pest-free. I wish I could do this with my in-ground plants! But that is not so easy... :)
Ladybugs don't erradicate.  Food gets low for them they fly away look for greener pastures.  They can reduce populations but it is unlike that they will eliminate anything.
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FlyingFoxFruits

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here is a 6ft tall, 10 gal, rare grafted Myrciaria...

I just noticed it has scale infestation on the bark...

I bet the tree can hold it's breath longer than the scale!

 ;D

whole tree (not too large for my big 100gal? tub)...I guess I could do this for a larger tree if I could haul it too a lake or body of water that doesn't have salt.

scale

scale

watery grave for scale

the tree holds its breath while the scale dies....I let the tree sit for about 10-14 hrs...I wonder how long it really takes though?  maybe less than 3 hrs??

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be sure to use a wetting agent !!!

My only wetting agent was water!


I will let you know how it pans out...the trees are totally underwater.

a little dawn dish detergent would probably help.  tri sodium phosphate is sold at good paint stores a pinch of it would break the surface tension and zap any fungus that was there.
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FlyingFoxFruits

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a little dish soap is a great idea!

I'm going to use some next time.

it should help keep the ants from floating to the surface...and will be helpful to wash off sooty mold.

be sure to use a wetting agent !!!

My only wetting agent was water!


I will let you know how it pans out...the trees are totally underwater.

a little dawn dish detergent would probably help.  tri sodium phosphate is sold at good paint stores a pinch of it would break the surface tension and zap any fungus that was there.
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gozp

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U shud try neem oil & dr bronner sal suds...this will help ya...

No to chemical pesticides.

FlyingFoxFruits

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U shud try neem oil & dr bronner sal suds...this will help ya...

No to chemical pesticides.

That stuff is useless for mites and ants (at least the ones I had)
« Last Edit: December 12, 2015, 12:37:03 AM by FlyingFoxFruits »
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gozp

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Have u tried using that product yet?