tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post343342488927968558..comments2024-03-27T07:35:21.832-07:00Comments on Plants are the Strangest People: In Which I Nearly Achieve Houseplant Pest Bingomr_subjunctivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-65359433377690250952013-02-06T10:25:09.187-08:002013-02-06T10:25:09.187-08:00I am not sure if that helps you at all but I succe...I am not sure if that helps you at all but I successfully dealt with a thrips invasion last summer - and I didn't use any chemcial weaponry to get rid of them.<br /><br />I had 4 lemon basil plants (Ocimum citriodorum), which I occasionally put on my windowsill (I am living in an apartment building), because their wonderful smell attracted all kinds of flying insects (small wasps, bees) and Martin O.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-92111705126251068642013-02-06T09:21:44.411-08:002013-02-06T09:21:44.411-08:00On the A. lophanthas, I can testify that they are ...On the A. lophanthas, I can testify that they are fine at least down to 25 degrees, but they do like a bit of hardening off in cool temperatures first.Jonathannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-43724387283929014542013-02-06T06:09:51.173-08:002013-02-06T06:09:51.173-08:00Jenny:
In this case, "where did they come fr...Jenny:<br /><br />In this case, "where did they come from" is not really the question I'm interested in so much as "where else are they." <br /><br />Though I would also like to know where they came from, 'cause it's weird for them to have wound up on a single plant in a shelf full of plants, and no others.<br /><br />I'm certainly <i>not</i> coming to realize mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-76324414750328376372013-02-06T05:41:49.060-08:002013-02-06T05:41:49.060-08:00Diane C:
There are such things, though I don'...Diane C:<br /><br />There are such things, though I don't know specifically which insect-eaters are out there or how useful they'd be against scale. Also, now that I've dosed everything with imidacloprid, it would maybe be a waste of money to buy something to eat the pests.mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-12401465520998067152013-02-06T05:40:13.546-08:002013-02-06T05:40:13.546-08:00Pat:
Very impressed. Psyllids!
Centipedes aren&#...Pat:<br /><br />Very impressed. Psyllids!<br /><br />Centipedes aren't a plant pest exactly (nor earthworms, as far as that goes), but people do occasionally find them in potted plants, especially potted plants newly arrived from Florida. And then when that happens, people tend to freak out about it. <br /><br />I have springtails at the moment in one of the containers I'm using to mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-55634766634532787542013-02-06T02:30:59.641-08:002013-02-06T02:30:59.641-08:00What a drag about the Anthurium seedlings. :(
To ...What a drag about the Anthurium seedlings. :(<br /><br />To help spot thrips if you suspect their presence breathe on the plant gently but heavily. This makes them run around manically and writhe.<br /><br />I have had scale, mealy bug, root mealy bug, psyllids, spidermite, thrips, fungus gnats, mildew, weevils, aphids, wilt, slugs and whitefly over just the last twenty years of houseplant Patnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-88078397171397973992013-02-05T18:35:40.656-08:002013-02-05T18:35:40.656-08:00I hate to think of any bugs in the house at all. ...I hate to think of any bugs in the house at all. That said, is there some other bug you could set loose to help control them, like maybe a spider or two?Diane Chttp://www.sunsaves.com/for_the_garden_and_patio/white_star_solar_patio_string_lights.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-27536158823185997872013-02-05T11:15:37.367-08:002013-02-05T11:15:37.367-08:00'Where did they come from?' Oh Mr.S...swe...'Where did they come from?' Oh Mr.S...sweet, silly Mr.S. I hear this question every day at work when customers bring me their buggy, infested plants. 'Why?' they clamour. 'How did this happen?' they beseech me. Back in the day, I used to get really hung up on this, and I would point out the fact that their act of bringing in the bugs was exposing the entire greenhouse Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-44974850755931630072013-02-05T11:15:12.581-08:002013-02-05T11:15:12.581-08:00Paul VA:
The Agave lophanthas actually spent the ...Paul VA:<br /><br />The <i>Agave lophantha</i>s actually spent the summer outside last year. The hope was that the scale would disappear because outside is magic. <br /><br /><a href="http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/66684/" rel="nofollow">Davesgarden.com</a> says they can only go to 20F/-7C, so I might be able to put them outside in late April or early May. I'll probably wait, though, &#mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-23028227223674314422013-02-05T10:51:00.547-08:002013-02-05T10:51:00.547-08:00Paul:
I wound up throwing that plant out last nig...Paul:<br /><br />I wound up throwing that plant out last night, after noticing that the ring spots were no longer confined to the one leaf. <br /><br />And no, it's not as bad as it could have been, at least not yet. (There are still ~60 plants yet to be checked, and a re-check of the <i>Anthurium</i> seedlings last night found another three cases of scale. So more plants are on the way out; mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-6062598069699818032013-02-05T10:47:59.752-08:002013-02-05T10:47:59.752-08:00Liza:
On the thrips, I have no idea. The first si...Liza:<br /><br />On the thrips, I have no idea. The first sighting was on the <i>Rhipsalis</i> NOID on the west side of the basement, quite a while ago, and I can't remember the details of the second. It was long enough ago that I have no idea what plants were new additions at the time, so I'll likely never know where the thrips came from.<br /><br />As to the sense of humor, I've mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-80164269303820215392013-02-05T10:14:54.295-08:002013-02-05T10:14:54.295-08:00I never knew you had a thing for Agaves. They'...I never knew you had a thing for Agaves. They're my favorite type of plant. My Agave lophantha offsets exactly like yours. lophantha are super hardy too, you might just be able to take it outside. <br />Ive only had thrips on african violet flowers. ive never even seen them on anything else Paul VAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-10962780745537926012013-02-05T09:13:26.782-08:002013-02-05T09:13:26.782-08:00Doesn't sound like it is as bad as it could ha...Doesn't sound like it is as bad as it could have been.<br /><br />That one plant leaf you showed definitely looks like it has ring spot.Paulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-77990365356966296102013-02-05T08:52:49.598-08:002013-02-05T08:52:49.598-08:00I wonder how thrips could've made it into your...I wonder how thrips could've made it into your basement? <br /><br />I'm impressed that you're still able to have a sense of humor after what you've been through.<br /><br />I've been playing the blame game with my houseplants, trying to determine which one brought the mealy bugs. At first I blamed my Nematanthus, which was the only new plant I had bought in ages. (I threw it Lizahttp://goodtogrow.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-63773947369547986262013-02-05T08:26:28.570-08:002013-02-05T08:26:28.570-08:00You are far ahead of me in that Bingo game, but th...You are far ahead of me in that Bingo game, but then I never had SO MANY plants.<br />My worst pests are red spider mites attacking my slippers from time to time. I can never spot those damned things but find ugly signs of their presence that permanently damage the leaves.orchideyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07244040530556082402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-5323835700746270432013-02-05T08:21:32.987-08:002013-02-05T08:21:32.987-08:00I wonder if the nematanthus you had to pitch was t...I wonder if the nematanthus you had to pitch was the same one I got from you two years back. If so, I can start more for you and send with the black gem once you sound the all clear. Mine is flowering like mad right now, so I will try to remember to get a picture tonight to confirm, but that sounds like the color of the flowers I have.Davelybobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-65524008642622764152013-02-05T06:58:28.145-08:002013-02-05T06:58:28.145-08:00I figured caterpillars would be the easiest to spo...I figured caterpillars would be the easiest to spot and remove, of the pests that would get me a Bingo. <br /><br />Though really, I would be fine with anything but root mealybugs. I am terrified of root mealybugs.mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-9880045867658630652013-02-05T05:43:05.392-08:002013-02-05T05:43:05.392-08:00If caterpillars ever show up in my houseplants...
...If caterpillars ever show up in my houseplants...<br />Oh God. I will just burn it all down.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01818236019515507079noreply@blogger.com