I have a large bird of paradise with a gross infection. I used to wipe the leaves with alcohol every six months but I’ve stopped for the last year, and they have taken over. Should I just give up or is it salvageable?
Plant is in a self-watering pot and has not been repotted in two years. By a north facing window with lots of light from multiple directions.
by Sad-Sap-
10 Comments
Ngl, wiping it down every six months, self watering, no uppotting… it sounds to me like you’re looking for permission to let this plant go lol
I wouldn’t do just alcohol. I’d use a neem oil or 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide & water. I would do that weekly for at least a month. Those buggers can be difficult.
A mealybug infestation requires a lot more population control than an every 6-month wipe down, unfortunately. It’s certainly salvageable, but it will take consistent and persistent effort from you to get the mealybugs under control. If you have a backyard, I’d take it out back and spray it down really well to try and physically remove as many mealybugs as possible. If you don’t have a hose, you can try putting it in your shower. Alcohol will instantly kill them but i wouldn’t recommend spraying it with alcohol, spot treating with a q-tip dipped in alcohol is better but time consuming. If it is available where you live, I’d recommend a bonide systemic insecticide and insecticidal soap. You can also prune the parts that have it the worst. I’ll warn you that they get in the tiniest nooks and crannies and lay eggs there and on nearby surfaces. So it could be a good idea to wipe down walls and surfaces near the plant.
Your plant is gorgeous and the infestation doesn’t look that terrible, please save her.
They’re in the soil. That’s why they keep coming back after you wipe the plant off. Repot or do an insecticide drench in the soil
Leave the plant outside for a couple weeks and let Mother Nature do its thing. I’m sure some hungry bugs outside will take care of these pests.
All this time I thought those were spider mites. Those are mealybugs??
I mean if you no longer want to deal with it then don’t deal with it. You don’t need our permission to throw it away.
Instead of wiping it every 6 months, you should actively monitor it and wipe the bugs away whenever you see them. These are the easiest types of leaves to wipe. You don’t even need to wipe them with alcohol, since wiping them off physically removes them.
But you just let them multiply for… A year???
Im surprised it’s even still living. The bugs are in the soil. Repot it.
Wow I didn’t know you could get this many bugs for an indoor plant. How the heck do they even make their way in??