Mealybug in the Night
Airline travel in December can be among the most grueling of the year. Not only is the weather unpredictable, but flights are crowded, travelers are anxious to get home, and turbulence from colliding storm fronts causes many to arrive at their destinations late and very queasy.
On a recent midwestern trip I arrived at my hotel well after midnight. I was tired and somewhat nauseous after bad weather and a delayed flight, but didn’t become really sick until greeted by this unfortunate sight right outside my room–mealybug in the night!
I was in an Embassy Suites hotel, which I often use because of their unflinching support of foliage plants in all their hotels. This site was not some of our industry’s best work, as all of these Ficus trees were glowing in the dark with a heavy coating of mealybug.
I know Embassy Suites can be difficult areas in which to maintain plants due to limitations of fish and ducks in their atria, not to mention working restrictions due to guest’s sleeping hours. This problem, however, has an easy fix, and one that doesn’t involve pesticides, night hours, or endangering staff, guests or wildlife. Curious? If so, sent a comment to receive the most time and cost efficient solution to "Mealybug In The Night."
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And yes, ALL those white spots on the trees are clumps of mealybug with their egg sacs!
Posted in Plantscaping, Insect Management |
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OK, what’s your mealy solution for this disaster? Beneficials? That’s one gross looking infestation. Maybe they were pretending it was that spray on snow stuff?!
December 31st, 2006 | #
What’s your solution? Is it pinesol? I know that’s what you recommended several years ago and it works but is there something else to add?
January 9th, 2007 | #
It appears that you two are well acquainted with the mealybug control problem! Since this is an Embassy Suites, and there are live fish, ducks (and guests) beneath the trees, the use of pesticides and soaps (including Pine-sol) would be eliminated for safety’s sake.
In order to use beneficial insects, we need to correctly identify the type of mealybug, as well as suitable temperature and humidity levels for the predatory insects. Since the pest is the citrus mealybug, and the atrium environment is comfortable, I would suggest the release of adult Cryptolaemus montrozieri (”mealybug destroyer”) throughout the infested trees. Release of “Crypts” would take about as long as walking through the entire atrium, and a few long, very thin (3/8-1/4″) bamboo sticks for easy dispersal. Check out http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HS138 for more information, and DON’T wear white clothing while doing it, as the Crpts are attracted to light colors, and will follow you home.
Customers that I have talked to prefer the use of beneficials over chemicals, and become stauch allies in the use of beneficial insects, which comes in handy, should they be noticed by guests. Washing the plants needs to be done frequently with water and high pressure hoses. Any mealybug that get washed off are taken care of by the fish and ducks.
January 13th, 2007 | #