I'm very pleased! Hello Michelle, Thank you for your feedback. It means a lot! We are so glad you enjoy using your sprayer and pleased with our service. May your plants grow happy and healthy! I first came across the Lechuza Pon after purchasing one of their large containers.
I am going to use it as my potting mix for a philodendron in a self watering container. My City Plants was the only company that had it in stock and offered fast shipping!
Thank you! Thank you, Gail, for your review. Timing of crawler hatch often is known for more common varieties. You may need a professional to confirm the exact species you are dealing with. This information can help you to determine the best method and timing of treatment. Soft scale insects family Coccidae have a soft waxy outer coating that cannot be removed or separated from the insect body.
Their coloring contrasts with their host plant. The waxy coverings of adult females are raised on the leaf or stem and may have a rounded or elongated appearance. Most soft scales that you find on plants are female. Each female produces hundreds to thousands of offspring, commonly without mating. Females are always wingless; males have wings. Soft scales are among the most problematic.
Most species produce one or two generations per year when infesting outdoor ornamental plants. Inside a home or greenhouse, however, these same species can produce multiple generations during winter months due to the warmer temperatures inside. Under these conditions, many different life stages may be present at one time. Nymphs may remain mobile, moving freely between stems and foliage to feed on phloem.
They produce honeydew, which can lead to sooty mold. Common species of soft scales include calico figure 4 , tuliptree figure 5 , wax figure 6 , and brown soft figure 7. They have a hardened waxy coating that covers the insect like armor. This covering can be removed or lifted, exposing the insect underneath figure 8. Males and females often have different scale coverings figure 11 , which can lead a person to think that two different species of armored scales are present.
Armored scales have three basic cover shapes: rounded figure 9 , pupillarial figure 10 , and oystershell figure As the insect molts, the covering for each consecutive instar life stage is added to the previous covering figure 9. This can help you to estimate the age of the armored scales on the plant.
The most common species of armored scales in urban landscapes are tea scale on camellias and hollies figure 12 , false oleander scale on southern magnolia figure 13 , obscure scale on oak trees figure 14 , and gloomy scale on maples figure Mealybugs family Pseudococcidae have no hardened covering and are distinctive for their flocculent wool-like bodies.
In Alabama, only a few mealybug species exist outdoors, and they produce just one generation per year. Those that live on house plants or infest ornamentals in greenhouses, however, can produce more generations per year. Mealybugs feed on the phloem and produce honeydew that can cause sooty mold. Sugar-loving ants tend to protect mealybugs from enemies, and they may even move them to new plants for the benefit of their honeydew figure Common species of mealybugs include rhodesgrass figure 17 , pink hibiscus figure 18 , and Madeira figure Giant scales family Monophlebidae are among the largest scale insects.
They are commonly misidentified as mealybugs, because they have an exterior ovisac and retain well-developed legs figure Honeydew and sooty mold are common when giant scales are present. Cottony cushion scale is commonly encountered on ornamental bamboo Nandina and the shrub pittosporum. It has the potential to kill these host plants if populations are left uncontrolled. They live underground and feed on the roots of turfgrass—most commonly centipedegrass and varieties of bermudagrass.
In Alabama, there are two species: Margarodes meridionalis and Eumargarodes laingi. Both are associated with damage to centipedegrass lawns.
Symptoms of ground pearls can be mistaken for many abiotic problems, such as drought or winter kill. Areas infested may not green up. Lawns with ground pearls typically have one spot where grass refuses to grow. These areas may be tilled and replanted, yet the grass does not survive. Ground pearls have a life stage called a cyst that is round and looks similar in size and shape to a prill of fertilizer figure They overwinter in this stage and can persist this way for many years if environmental conditions are not good for development.
Reddish- pink females emerge from the cyst from June to July and move around in soil looking for sites to lay eggs. Crawlers that emerge from those eggs attach to roots and secrete the coating that becomes the ground pearl. Ground pearls produce one generation per year.
To confirm ground pearls, you must sample the soil below the grass. Your county Extension office can assist with proper identification of ground pearls. Felt or bark scales family Eriococcidae are not common except for a new species recently found on crapemyrtle trees. Ridding your plants of mealybugs is not an easy task. They thrive in crevices between branches in the interior of the plant where it is hard to spray them. Another issue is that one female can lay up to eggs, quickly expanding their population.
Once mealybugs are found on a plant, it needs to be isolated from other plants to prevent the infestation from spreading. The amount of insects on the plant determines your next step. In some cases, the population may be too high and the better choice may be to discard the plant. With smaller infestations, Michigan State University Extension advises using a cotton swab dipped in alcohol on individual insects, but care must be taken to dab it on the insect and not the plant to prevent damage to plant tissue.
If you choose to spray with an insecticide, make sure it is labeled for indoor use. There are a number of pesticides that can be used to treat for mealybugs. Read labels carefully to see if there are lists of plants that can be harmed by specific products.
The jade plant I treated for mealybugs survived for years, but was never totally free of the pest. These are more commonly used for outdoor infestations or in greenhouse situations and are available from commercial online retailers. To make a batch of homemade garden pesticide , combine 1 garlic bulb, 1 small onion, and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a food processor or blender and process into a paste.
Mix into 1 quart of water and steep for 1 hour. Strain through a cheesecloth and add 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Mix well. The mixture can be stored for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Spray the solution on the plant parts where mealybugs are present. A number of stronger insecticides are approved for use against mealybugs, but the protection offered by the wax on the insects can make them less effective.
Be cautious when using these chemicals, especially in indoor locations. Stronger pesticides have varying degrees of toxicity to humans. Mealybugs tend to be drawn to certain plants that are heavy in the juices they prefer to feed on. Citrus trees are particularly susceptible, and mealybugs can pose a serious threat to some commercial crops, such as mango.
Mealybugs can infest a number of indoor houseplants, particularly tropical species. Mealybugs are attracted to plants with high nitrogen levels and soft growth; they may appear if you overwater and over-fertilize your plants. Like most pests, the best control for mealybugs is defensive. Healthy, vigorous plants are less susceptible to infestation than weak, underpotted, and stressed plants.
As a general rule, make sure your plants are healthy, and you're less likely to attract these pests in the first place. However, mealybugs can infect even healthy plants.
Often, they come in on new plants, because greenhouses are the perfect breeding ground for them. Check any new plant purchases carefully before adding them to your collection.
A number of other strategies can help prevent mealybug infestations on your plants:. If an infestation cannot be controlled after two or three weekly applications of insecticide, consider destroying the plant before the mealybugs spread to other plants in your home.
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