Mealy Bug Treatment - Orchid Board

EmoryG · #1 01-08-2018, 04:41 PM

Aloha All,

I have been having issues with mealy bugs on a number of my orchids. They mostly affect buds, but I find them in leaf junctions as well (particularly Phrags and Paphs). A previous thread suggested using Beyer 3 in 1 spray, for systemic protection.

Anyone have experience with this product or is something else recommended? Are there genera that I should avoid spraying (that seem very sensitive to this pesticide)?

I am also trying to keep the ant population down, but that is always a battle in the tropics (and one that I'm not winning at the moment).

Thank you all for the help!

Pattywack · #2 01-08-2018, 05:11 PM

Hello and welcome to the board! I do not have much experience with mealy bugs, they are nasty and need to be taken seriously. You may have also found many people try treating with isopropyl alcohol & water with dish soap added to spray their plants. Seems like a prolonged death sentence to me.

I had mealy bugs last spring on a Neofinetia falcata and I hesitated to use Bayer 3 in 1 as I too was concerned about the sensitivity of the plant. I needed to treat my entire collection just to be safe. I only ever saw the one bug.

I treated my Neofinetia collection by drenching each plant in their pots. I grow my Neos in the traditional Japanese moss mounds. I was practically holding my breath as I poured the solution over every plant. In my opinion it was either treat the plants and kill all the mealys or the mealys would kill my plants. It was that simple for me. I had little confidence that other treatments would stop this nasty bug.

I waited two weeks and retreated them all as recommended. My plants were fine and mealy bug free!!! I would not hesitate to use Bayer 3 in 1 again if ever needed.

Hopefully someone else will chime in with their experience, I’ve only ever used this on Neofinetia though as I understand it is safe for your plants as well. Good luck, mealys are awful!

orchidsarefun · #3 01-08-2018, 05:48 PM

How to Get Rid of Mealybugs | Planet Natural

I had the above link all ready in response to another mealy bug thread. I use Safer but you must reapply.

rbarata · #4 01-08-2018, 05:55 PM

Take at look at this thred from my own, back in 2015.
Until today this Den never had mealy bugs again.

EmoryG · #5 01-08-2018, 09:28 PM

Thanks for the advice. I think I will try a spray as form of treatment. Maybe starting with Safer and going from there. Wandering around squishing them with a sharpened plastic tag only goes so far.

My plants are in a fairly open structure that's fairly exposed on the sides, trying to prevent things from finding their way inside is unrealistic.

Thanks again for the help.

dounoharm · #6 01-09-2018, 12:13 PM

do not hesitate to conduct a massive mealy bug eradication! the only negative with bayer 3-in-1 is putting it on edible (human) plants.....

safer works on aphids, and that's about it....

if you see a mealy bug, there is a hidden colony somewhere, no doubt! they get down in your media. if your plants are inside, you can spray outside, or put them inside a big plastic bag to spray and let them dry then take them back out.

mealies love the flowers best. spray them or cut them off to treat the plant. SOAK THAT MEDIA GOOD! to kill the hidden colony!

mealies travel on the winds i think! all new plants need to be isolated, and treated with bayer a time or two before putting them near your precious plants....

if you really love your orchids, you will nail those things immediately! spray benches and lattice too! follow instructions and you will be fine using a strong chemical....

remember, when using any chemical outside, SPRAY EARLY IN THE DAY! before the bees come around. you want the spray to dry before the bees come to the flowers...and DO NOT SPRAY IF THERE IS A BREEZE! to prevent 'drift'....

good luck!

Pattywack · #7 01-09-2018, 03:16 PM

The information given by dounoharm is exactly why I tried nothing else. The longer those nasties are living in your plants, the harder it will be to completely eradicate them. I have no patience for infestations!

SundayGardener · #8 01-09-2018, 08:07 PM

I discovered mealy bugs in late October, when it was already getting tricky to bring orchids outside to spray due to temps. I did 3 rounds of Bayer 3. So far no return of bugs.

I try to keep a bee-friendly garden because I actually enjoy the bees and butterflies more than the plants (which never want to stay neat and tidy or cooperate in any way). That said, after an infuriating summer handpicking japanese beetles and losing the battle, I did not hesitate to bring out Bayer 3 for the orchids. I did have to do some spraying inside, in the basement. I would suggest wearing a face mask, because I had a sore throat after spraying. In the future, if I can do it outside, I might do it on a screened porch.

First round, I sprayed everything. Second round (and this will be my first round, next time) I discarded all potting media, washed all pots in detergent and bleach, soaked new bark from sealed bags in Bayer 3, sprayed all orchids top to bottom including roods with Bayer 3, repotted. Third round was spraying again. It took literally forever and orchids like oncidiums are nerve wracking with all their pleats and folds and places for bugs to hide.

None of my orchids died. They did get grumpy, but I have new root growth in some, blooms on a few, and in general they are looking pretty good. I have the usual phals, some paphs, and a few each oncidiums, catts, encyclias, neofinetias and a few misc. Also in the mix some airplants (which did not do well), ferns, handful of pitiful succulents, african violets (just now bouncing back) and bromeliads.

I really hate mealy bugs.

fishmom · #9 01-09-2018, 09:10 PM

I keep a gallon of 3-in-1 mixed up in a covered bucket. I drop a plant in it when I am repotting, and I feel like it does a better job of getting in the nooks and crannies than I can with any spraying method. I also have a spray bottle of the mix for retreating, but actually it doesn't happen very often. Since I started doing this, my mealy bug wars are much diminished.

EmoryG · #10 01-09-2018, 11:18 PM

Thank you all for the feedback on the Beyer 3 in 1!

Hearing your stories make me much more comfortable spraying my collection. I have things prepped and plan on spraying everything Thursday morning, closing up the area as best as I can for the next 24 hrs.

If anyone has had negative experiences or found certain taxa that seem sensitive to this spray, please let me know. Otherwise, thanks again for the help.