Because I am still in the midst of fighting a mealybug infestation, and I am slowly, but surely, losing the battle, I went looking for a very highly recommended systemic insecticide. The most popular product mentioned was Bayer 3 in 1. I searched hi and lo, but did not find it at any of my local stores. It wasn't until I visited Amazon.com that I found out that it was not available for sale in New York State. I had to resort to ordering the product online.
The beauty of this insecticide is that it is sprayed on the plant to be absorbed by the foliage, and can be added to the water the plant takes in through its roots. This causes the plant to become toxic for at least 30 days at a time. When the pests dine on the plant, they ingest the poison and die. The insecticide has a multiple approach and is much more effective than anything that is sprayed on topically. Its effectiveness is due to the fact that it targets the pests' entire life cycle; the adults, eggs, and offspring are eradicated. Because the plant itself becomes poisonous, any surviving pests, which might decide to burrow under the media and munch on the roots instead, are also taken care of as well. Because the treatment lasts a month, usually, only one round is necessary to wipe out the current infestation.
However, I have learned quite recently that mealybugs are not only stealthy and hide just about anywhere they can and wait until they can attack a weakened plant in the near future, but they can be spread by a light breeze or they can travel on their own several feet if need be. This may mean that infestations may reoccur on a pretty consistent basis. The best preventive is to ensure the culture is on point so the plant is not stressed, which lowers the plants immunity to future attacks. Being a new orchid hobbyist, this is my main challenge because I am still learning what is best for me and in my home environment. Each season is bringing a new set of surprises and challenges so my approach is still reactive rather than being well established so I know when to alter things in order to prevent issues. By the same time next year, I will be more prepared to foresee what lies ahead instead of being taken totally unaware.
Update 09/21/13
It's been almost a week since the initial treatment with the Bayer 3 in 1, so far, no more mealybugs. I will still administer 2 more treatments as recommended to ensure the infestation has been eradicated entirely. The usual problem with mealybugs is that people stop treatment too soon. When they don't spot the mealybugs for a week or two, they believe they are gone. Most times, they are either lurking somewhere else biding their time, underground, or have left eggs behind that will eventually revive the infestation. I have decided to learn from the mistakes of others and not give up applying the poison prematurely.
The beauty of this insecticide is that it is sprayed on the plant to be absorbed by the foliage, and can be added to the water the plant takes in through its roots. This causes the plant to become toxic for at least 30 days at a time. When the pests dine on the plant, they ingest the poison and die. The insecticide has a multiple approach and is much more effective than anything that is sprayed on topically. Its effectiveness is due to the fact that it targets the pests' entire life cycle; the adults, eggs, and offspring are eradicated. Because the plant itself becomes poisonous, any surviving pests, which might decide to burrow under the media and munch on the roots instead, are also taken care of as well. Because the treatment lasts a month, usually, only one round is necessary to wipe out the current infestation.
However, I have learned quite recently that mealybugs are not only stealthy and hide just about anywhere they can and wait until they can attack a weakened plant in the near future, but they can be spread by a light breeze or they can travel on their own several feet if need be. This may mean that infestations may reoccur on a pretty consistent basis. The best preventive is to ensure the culture is on point so the plant is not stressed, which lowers the plants immunity to future attacks. Being a new orchid hobbyist, this is my main challenge because I am still learning what is best for me and in my home environment. Each season is bringing a new set of surprises and challenges so my approach is still reactive rather than being well established so I know when to alter things in order to prevent issues. By the same time next year, I will be more prepared to foresee what lies ahead instead of being taken totally unaware.
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Update 09/21/13
It's been almost a week since the initial treatment with the Bayer 3 in 1, so far, no more mealybugs. I will still administer 2 more treatments as recommended to ensure the infestation has been eradicated entirely. The usual problem with mealybugs is that people stop treatment too soon. When they don't spot the mealybugs for a week or two, they believe they are gone. Most times, they are either lurking somewhere else biding their time, underground, or have left eggs behind that will eventually revive the infestation. I have decided to learn from the mistakes of others and not give up applying the poison prematurely.
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