Defeating Mealybugs on my Rainbow Cactus (microscopic views!)
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 2023
- Microscope: amzn.to/45cDJEa
(CC) This is one of the worst cacti to find mealybugs on - oof! Echinocereus rigidissimus var. rubrispinus 'Rainbow cactus' has incredibly dense spines where the mealythugs can easily hide.
I use a powerful water hose and tweezers, along with my awesome USB microscope to battle these busters.
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The mealy bugs that you see are not the major problem. It is the thousands of eggs that you cannot see that defeats your attempt to get rid of them.
I have done my best to save my Jade and Portulacaria Afra plants from them but I am still fighting for them. These things are microscopic when they hatch and are all over your plant by the time that you discover them. They may seem to disappear for a while after you treat them but they will be back unless you just had one or two random bugs on your plant.
They get in where a leaf attaches to the stem and just chew away for several weeks until the leaf is ready to fall off. How do you fight something that you cannot see until it has done the damage?
There are some succulents and other plants that they don’t seem to like the taste of or they are just more attracted to certain plants. I finally had to get rid of badly infected plants. I did use a systemic insecticide on my tropical plants that got infected. It worked for them but not for the succulents. Mealy bugs are the worst.
On my yucca outside, I had red spider mites..ALOT!! I bought Ladybugs🐞🐞 1,500, and let them go onto the plant and later,..cause I forgot about them, checked the yucca and the mites where gone😯..the company is called nature's good guys. Ladybugs are mother nature's little army.. marching there way into battle against bad bugs...soooo fun to watch them march out of the bag.🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞
Good to know! Hopefully you'll get babies to join in the battle!
That color though!!🌵
Use 90% rubbing alcohol between hosing it. Use a qtip to put the rubbing alcohol on the mealy bugs. It removes their waxy coating causing them to dry out. It doesn't hurt the cactus, just don't put it in direct sun when you have applied rubbing alcohol.
Love the images through the microscope! Sorry you and the cactus had to go through the treatment. Well done. No more buggaroos. 😀
Hi Mari! Thanks! I really like the microscopic stuff too! Fingers crossed the busters are at least 99% gone 😅
Thank you for these videos. Great info! 🤠
Glad it was helpful!
Sucks for you in the heat with mealy bugs. I think and hope 🤞 you caught the situation early. Also I ordered one of those microscopes cuz they look really useful with cactuses and other succulents.
Thanks! I hope so too! And glad you got the microscope - I noticed it was on sale so good timing!
Medleys suck. It’s so tough to get rid of them! I use straight rubbing alcohol but I know that’s rough on the plants. Nearly impossible to treat the really spiny ones! I get them on my houseplants too
For real, and with the heat here I don't want to use anything harsh.
Where do mealies come from? Surprised they like spiky cactus.
Just like any pest, they usually come from other plants. Ants can transport them too :/
I hate those bugs, I’m fighting them to
Ugh sorry sis!
Had them UNKNOWINGLY destroy my astrophytum ornatum years ago... I absolutely loved that plant too. I had no idea, until it was far too late, so always keep up "check ups" on all your prickly buddies to catch mealies before they do their damage.
Now even the cactus is woke 😮
Just kiddin..
Is it some mammillaria species..looks unique
Echinocereus rigidissimus var. rubrispinus - Rainbow cactus is so much easier lol!
@@SucsForYou holy... some name eh
Have you tried alcohol or Incide?
Yes - both! Not on this plant though. As I mention, it has been too hot to use anything topical. Thankfully (as I run over to this cactus to verify brb) the water blasting did the trick.