Pests

[Missi]

I have several tropical understory palms of which I keep in pots on my roofed lanai. Lately, I have been having mealybugs located around the area of where the new spears come out of the crown. Unfortunately, on a couple of my palms, treating with spray insecticide or simply applying some hydrogen peroxide has resulted in rot or spear pull. When I can, I will place the plant outside in some sun in hopes it clears it up (forget ladybugs, I rarely see them around). In some plants, that doesn't even help. In other plants, I can't place them in sun.

Being that this is summer and it is happening, I'm kind of sweating winter. I'm kind of at a loss here on how to keep my understory potted palms healthy.

[Pal Meir]

If you don’t want to use strong insecticides I recommend coffee: I had good success with ±diluted second brew of coffee, spraying it repeatedly over and under the leaves. It killed all scale insects (Coccoidea) on a heavily infected Trachycarpus wagnerianus.

[Missi]

I don't mind using insecticides. My concern is when I spray the critters in the crown, I have gotten rot or spear pull a couple days later and I don't understand why. Not on all the plants but enough of them to be concerning.

So diluted second brew coffee? Sorry, what is that? I've had a Keurig K-Cup machine ever since I started drinking coffee! Would it be brewing a K-Cup a second time? Then diluting it? You can't use it straight?