Posts Tagged ‘neem oil’

Neem Oil

Last week, our blog about Neem oil mentioned how the latter was not necessarily a good remedy to get rid of pest insects such as mealy bugs or aphids affecting indoor plants (Trevor Thomas did point out, though, that once a plant is treated for such pest insects, Neem oil was effective in keeping them from returning.)  How, then, does one get rid of pest insects such as mealy bugs or aphids?

To answer that question, we are reposting our blog from last year offering very concrete, step-by-step advice on how to go about treating pest insects, mealy bugs in particular on indoor plants:

“If you notice a little ball of white fluff on one of your plants, take a closer look. You may have a mealy bug problem. There are many kinds of mealy bugs but the one that seems to be most common in houseplants in North America is the citrus mealy bug.  In as far as your houseplants are concerned, the name has nothing to do with citrus fruit, nor with the fact that you may enjoy eating oranges and grapefruits.

Mealy bugs

Adult citrus mealy bugs are not very mobile and especially like to congregate tightly in protected parts of the plants such as in the crevice where leaves join the stem. You will also find them on leaves, especially young tender ones. The adults are covered in a hairy waxy coating that has a slight pinkish hue. Younger mealy bugs are very mobile, darker, not covered in hairy wax, and can easily move from one plant to another in search of tender leaves and stems where they latch on and start draining fluids from the plant.

Mealy bugs are difficult, but not impossible, to get rid of.

The first thing you should do is isolate and treat the infected plant. You should also isolate the neighboring plants as they may be infected too. Be sure to wipe down any surfaces like window ledges in between the plants to kill any stragglers with insecticidal soap.

To get rid of mealy bugs, be sure to wet all surfaces of the plant including any crevices or cracks in the stems where they may be hiding with insecticidal soap. Be sure to retreat again with insecticidal soap after 3 or 4 days.  One of my biologist friends dabs the mealy bugs he find with a Q-Tip dipped in rubbing alcohol.  This is VERY labor intensive and, he says, has never helped him to completely get rid of the problem completely.  In a recent blog post, I recommended neem oil as an alternative to insecticidal soap. Several people wrote to me to suggest that a combination of insecticidal soap and neem oil works best.  I.e. apply the insecticidal soap, repeat the application a few times and then take the neem oil approach.  The advantage of neem oil is that it stays on the plants and makes them unpalatable to new croppings of mealy bugs or other pests as they hatch. Soap is generally not effective once it has dried up.”

Insecticidal Soap

http://www.biofloris.com/blog_en/2010/02/treating-mealy-bugs-on-indoor-plants/

One of our readers, Trevor Thomas of Burnaby, British Columbia, recently sent us this text about Neem oil. 

“I was first introduced to Neem oil through the Vancouver Orchid Society as an insect repellent. Neem oil is derived from a tree that grows in India. It is a brown oily substance and from what I know, it is extremely bitter, hence its insect repellent qualities. It is non-toxic which makes it ideal for indoor plants.

Pure or mixed?

You can purchase Neem oil in its pure form and mix this with liquid soap or you can purchase it in a mixed concoction. In the past, when I’ve looked for Neem oil, it was hard to find in its pure form. I have seen it sold and marketed as a spray that you can use to enhance the texture of the leaves on your plants.

Desirable effects

A desirable side effect of Neem oil is that it leaves a shiny waxy texture on the leaves of plants that you spray it on. However, I find it is best suited as an insect repellent. If your plant is infected with mealy bugs or aphids Neem oil may not be your best bet in killing these pests, but once you’ve eradicated the bugs then I would definitely recommend a weekly regimen of Neem oil.”

Neem Oil

Write to us

Let us know when, how and in what form you use Neem oil.  We’d love to hear more on the topic!  Also, you can read or re-read or post from last year:

http://www.biofloris.com/blog_en/2010/02/neem-oil-for-indoor-plants/

Terrie Greco, B.A.; HLT Dip.

We have an intruder in this country  – a bold, brash, bright reddish orange beetle known as the Lily Leaf Beetle (Lilioceris lilii). This beetle hails from Europe and Asia, and was noticed in the Montreal area in the early 1940’s.  It has been heading west ever since, leaving a trail of destruction among your favourite Lily plants.

Even if this ‘import’ had natural predators, its habits are so disgusting that even the most self respecting bird avoids it. The larva has a peculiar habit of using its own excrement as a protective cloak.  Not an attractive appetizer let alone a main course for any predator.  If this wasn’t bad enough, the brightly coloured adult has an uncanny sense of timing.  When the adult senses danger, (such as a gardener preparing to pluck it from the leaf) it folds up its six black legs and ‘sky dives’ to the ground – with its black underside facing up. Adventure and camouflage all in one clever ploy!

The burning question – how do we control it? Using Neem oil as a repellent on the leaves shows plenty of promise. Monitoring and handpicking are very effective. Watch for the brightly coloured adults emerging from the soil in late spring and grab them before they find true love!  Each female can deposit 400+ eggs – capturing and destroying a few will make a difference.  If some beetles end up having a tryst – don’t call yourself gram or gramps yet! Brush off small orange rows of eggs from the underside of leaves before the larval stage emerges. Two or more generations are possible, so be diligent with these recommendations until late August.

Check out the following photographs.

Lily Leaf Beetle .Note the bright red orange body and black head and legs – capture and destroy!!!

Lily Leaf Beetle. Adult females lay small orange cylindrical shaped eggs in neat rows on the underside of Lily leaves in late spring – brush them off with a gloved hand or remove the leaf.

Lily Leaf Beetle larva covered in an ‘excrement cloak’ – gross! Some insects have no manners…

Lily Leaf Beetle. I have removed these leaves to show the eggs and different stages of the larva. Notice the severe destruction of the leaf tissue! These insects have no mercy.

Lily Leaf Beetle. It just goes to show you that this pest can destroy a plant within a few days.

Keep your eyes open in the garden – you never know what’s hiding behind that leaf! Keep reading this blog for more info.