Question
Hi Will,

I need your expertise!  I have a ponytail Palm that has had a parasite it's tiny white fuzzy spots (I think they might be mites) all over the leaves of the plant, I have tried cleaning them off with cotton swabs and alcohol, and used Bonide Houseplant Insect Control in the soil as well, but nothing seems to get rid of these little spots.  I have tried peeling off some leaves and cleaning deep into the plant, but they still seem to come back. More recently I've tried a spray of rubbing alcohol on the leaves, but all my attempts have failed.  Short of Cutting off all the green I'm not sure what to do!  Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks so much for your help,
Sincerely,
Alisha
Reno, NV

Answer
Hi Alisha,

If the white stuff looks like little bits of cotton, then your ponytail has mealybugs.

The difficulty with treating mealybugs is that there is always more to deal with than meets the eye. Young mealybugs lack the telltale cotton-like protective coating and they are skillful at hiding in nooks and crannies where leaves and stems join.

The key to successfully eradicating these creatures is to spray the ones that are out of sight. That means that whatever treatment you select, you must get complete coverage, to the drip point, of all leaf and stem surfaces and in all of the crevices. If you miss a few, they will live to breed another day.

I do not recommend any pesticides because they are all hazardous to use and not 100% effective against mealybugs. The best non-toxic treatment for mealybug is called Brand X foliage cleaner (Yes, that's for real). It is available through Southwest Plantscape Products in California (www.southwestplantscape.com ). Their phone is 1-800-333-7977. It is a silicon-based product so it is very slippery. Its ability to penetrate is probably the key to its effectiveness because it gets into the tiny crevices that other sprays miss. I have found this to work well with ponytails when all else fails.

You may want to try spraying with rubbing alcohol. Mix 1 part alcohol with 5 parts of water. Be sure to spray all leaf and stem surfaces thoroughly. The common practice of applying alcohol with a Q-tip is not effective because it misses the ones you can芒鈧劉t see. It is also best if you repeat this treatment again in 5 to 7 days to catch any crawlers that you missed the first time. After that, you should check your plant weekly to see if they return.

Never spray in direct sunlight or when temperatures are above 75 degrees. It is also advisable to test any spray on a few leaves as a test before you spray the entire plant. Wait a few days following the test to see if there is any negative reaction to the spray.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.
   
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

Visit my web site at www.HorticulturalHelp.com

If this information has been helpful, please remember to give me a rating and nomination.