romalu said:
I did submerge the whole plant in soapy water when I first discovered the mealies (then repotted and added the systemic). Clearly didn't get them all though. What's this insecticidal soap you use? If you mix it in water, what ratio?
Safer's Insecticidal Soap concentrate. Mix it at 1 1/4 tablespoons per quart or 5 tablespoons per gallon. I tried homemade using Castile soap. It didn't kill the plants but it didn't kill the bugs either.
The mealybugs start out very tiny, tiny enough to hide in the pores of terracotta pots. If you use the same pot again, run it through the dishwasher when your husband isn't looking (or soak it in a 10% bleach bath).
The only reliable systemic (and its not always) is dinotefuran. Imidacloprid runs a close second.
