Author Topic: Pests  (Read 2638 times)

laidbackdood

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Pests
« on: October 26, 2014, 11:41:49 AM »
Found some unsavory characters on a few of my citrus today.....I didnt take a pic but i removed and washed the trees down......however i can describe them well and if someone can let me know what they are.......I suspect they are those cabbage white moths laying eggs but here goes anyway/
They look like grains of white rice with cotton wool like substance over them....when removed they had some orange coloured sap from the plants.................is the the critters above as i suspect?    Cheers Jon
ps I will be spraying with pest oil tonight. 

Millet

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Re: Pests
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2014, 08:49:39 PM »
Without a picture it is really difficult to tell.  Sounds like one of the varieties of mealy bug. - Millet

Blake Branch

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Re: Pests
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2014, 11:13:00 PM »
It could be mealy bugs or some type of soft scale.  Post a picture if possible.

laidbackdood

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Re: Pests
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2014, 11:34:28 PM »
i did some research and its mealy bug allright..........cleaned it all off yesterday...so couldnt take a pic.....sprayed with eco oil last night.....so hopefully that deals to them.........I recently bought two dwarf clementines.........removed all small fruit  from one of them and left a few on the other........will be interesting to see how they grow....both about 50cm tall.

brian

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Re: Pests
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2014, 04:12:19 PM »
I get mealy bugs all the time.  I pick the fat ones off with tweezers and then spray the tree with hort oil once or twice.  This usually keeps the tree clean for a few months.

Daintree

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Re: Pests
« Reply #5 on: November 02, 2014, 04:36:22 PM »
I have been having a terrible time with mealy bugs in my greenhouse.
I have tried Neem oil, but it doesn't seem to slow them down at all!  I have also tried a systemic imidicloprid made for citrus (the Bayer one), but it is still an ongoing battle.
What kind of horticultural oil do you use?
I get so confused when I read the labels.  Is it different than dormant oil? The guy at the store said to be really careful with "heavy" oils or I can kill the plants, too.  Also, I was told not to use it in my greenhouse because of the high humidity and sometimes high temps (up to 100 in the summer, but it IS shady and the fan is usually going...).
I have birds flying loose in the greenhouse, so I also don't want anything that smells really strong.  They don't chew on the plants, though.
My biggest battle is with my citrus and coffee.
Or should I just keep using rubbing alcohol?

Thanks!
Carolyn

brian

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Re: Pests
« Reply #6 on: November 02, 2014, 07:48:55 PM »
Daintree,  I am using watered down dormant oil which is petroleum based and different from neem oil which I think is from a plant.  I don't remember the brand, probably Bonide, but it comes with a hose attachment intended to be sprayed with hose-added water onto in-ground trees.  I just put a few tablespoons of this oil in a spray bottle filled the rest of the way with water and it works very well.  Just enough to make the leaves shiny and it seems to smother scale and mealybugs.  It doesn't smell at all.  I've never seen any damage to my trees from it.  You can also use insecticidal soap the same way.

I would think alcohol would damage trees but I honestly have no idea.  I vaguely remember being a kid putting spiders in rubbing alcohol thinking it would kill them instantly and it didn't even phase them.

Also, if it matters - I never spray anything on trees that are in bloom, and my winter greenhouse never gets very humid.  The heaters keep it fairly dry and my trees are outdoors in the warmer seasons.
« Last Edit: November 02, 2014, 07:55:43 PM by brian »

Tom

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Re: Pests
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2014, 08:00:31 PM »
Neem oil smells unpleasant to me. The horticultural oil had no objectionable odor to me. A great side benefit of horticultural is it seems to make sooty mold peel off in sheets like bad paint. I could never get the same results with soap. I tried. Tom

Millet

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Re: Pests
« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2014, 08:26:14 PM »
Horticultural oils are my #1 control for mealy bug, aphids, and scale (the big 3 insects for citrus).  It really works great.  The only precaution is not to spray when the temperature is 90F or above.  The brand that I use is called Ultra-Pure Horticultural oil. - Millet