I just received some cuttings of philodendron and pothos that were sealed in ziplock bags. While inspecting them, I found one cutting completely overrun with mealybugs, so I immediately sealed it back up and decided to trash it after noticing some stray bugs on others. I cleaned my desk with rubbing alcohol after dealing with the cuttings to prevent any spread. However, while setting up my plant shelf, I spotted a mealybug on my snake plant! I didn't even touch that one last night, so I have no idea how it ended up there! I sprayed it with rubbing alcohol and went to town spraying all my other plants too. I checked the high-risk plants and didn't find any bugs, but I'm seriously freaking out! Bugs give me the creeps! I'm really worried that either the mealybugs spread more than I realized, or my snake plant was already infested. Considering how small my place is, it's tough to separate everything – I'm tempted to just throw out the snake plant out of paranoia. I really need some advice.
1 Answer
First off, don't panic too much! If you just sprayed with rubbing alcohol, make sure it has enough time to evaporate or wipe it off to prevent any possible burns to your plant. I’ve been fine-tuning a treatment protocol for mealybugs that’s pretty comprehensive—I can share it if you're interested! Just remember, it's a work in progress so I'm always open to feedback. And hey, a little bit of prevention can go a long way!
Thanks for the reply! I used a diluted solution of rubbing alcohol, so fingers crossed they hold up. I’m considering getting those granules; do you think mealybugs can hide on clothing or surfaces? That snake plant one looked huge – it's all freaking me out!
Definitely! I used Bonide's systemic granules on my plants when I had mealybugs last year. Treated them all and didn't see another one after that, although I had a real issue with them on my groceries for a while. Just an FYI, I had to keep most produce in the fridge because of that! But my treated plants stayed bug-free, while the produce was a nightmare!