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Root Mealy Bugs vs. Regular


Dypsisdean

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Does anyone know if the mealy bugs you see on roots when you take a plant out of a pot are different than the ones you see on the leaves?

Also, how much damage do the ones on the roots cause? And, how would one know if there are still mealy bugs on the roots after you plant it in the ground?

animated-volcano-image-0010.gif.71ccc48bfc1ec622a0adca187eabaaa4.gif

Kona, on The Big Island
Hawaii - Land of Volcanoes

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Hi there dean,

I've only ever seen root invading mealy bugs once on a palm imported from the east coast of OZ.  I'm not sure if they are the same as the leaf dwellers but they were about half the size and caused a lot more damage.

I didn't know they were there untill the plam started to sulk  and I couldn't make it happy with feeding/watering and such. I pulled it from the pot to change the medium and found the roots infested with these little buggers and what a lot of damage they had done. They do seem more damaging than the leaf dwellers.

I manually removed as many as possible , trimmed the damaged roots , re potted and flooded with a systemic insecticide along with every thing else in a pot in fear of an outbrake. The palm recovered but I think the only way to find if they are present  is to investigate.

Jason.

Made the move to Mandurah - West Aust

Kamipalms,
Growing for the future


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Jason,

I guess nobody really knows much about these buggers. I agree with you that they do cause damage. That led me to wonder if it's possible that they could attack an in ground palm. Could some palms failure to thrive be caused by these or other root damaging insects that you never see.

animated-volcano-image-0010.gif.71ccc48bfc1ec622a0adca187eabaaa4.gif

Kona, on The Big Island
Hawaii - Land of Volcanoes

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Dean,

Its not unusual for Mealy bugs to invade your palms root system them nasty sap suckers. And they are the same type, They like the moist condition use a soapy insecticide to control them. If you can wash the roots with water and transplant in fresh soil this will help if they didn`t do to much damage.

Damn mealy bugs :angry:

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Hi guys

I dont have to see these to know they are in the soil. I seem to have a nose for the smell they release, makes me fell ill. They are damaging and I have seen them in "open" soil.

Cheers

Dennis

Sub-tropical

Summer rainfall 1200mm

Annual average temp 21c

30 South

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Aphids and scale also infest the roots, especially when the ants are helping them.

That said, healthy plants usually aren't bothered too much.  Marginal ones, well, that's different . . . .

dave

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