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Many of you ask us how to deal with scale and
mealy bugs. Mealy bugs love to hide under the stem-sheath (papery covering of the pseudobulbs). They evidence themselves as
a small mass of white cottony material on the leaves, or stems of the plant. They are insects that can suck the life out of
your plants if allowed to.
As a preventative we like to use a spray made with Neem oil. Neem oil acts as an anti-feedant
and starves the insects. We don’t like to use toxic insecticides and Neem oil has given us good results. When your plant
is infected it is important to act quickly. First, separate infected plant from others and thoroughly clean it . Peel off
sheath of pseudobolbs and scrub them off with a soft tooth brush dipped in a weak solution of bleach and water (10%). Then
spray your plant with a hose nozzle on high pressure. This disrupts insects habitat and physically removes them. After scrubbing
the plants, spray with Neem oil to protect them.
It is a good practice to peel off stem-sheath to prevent bug infestation.
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Neem oil is pressed from the seed of the
neem tree (Azadiracta indica Juss.) This tree, native to eastern India and Burma, is known by several names including "village
pharmacy" "cornucopia," "wonder tree" and "the veritable gold mine." Neem leaves, stems, seeds and oil have been used for
medicinal purposes and pest control in India for more than four thousand years. In fact , its Sanskrit name, arishta ,means
"reliever of sickness".
Because neem products are used for human consumption and midication,exposure to neem in the
process of treating plants with neem oil poses no threat to humans or other higher animals. Moreover, neem is not harmful
to beneficial insects, affecting only those insects feeding on plants treated with neem. Neem biodegrades in a matter of weeks
when exposed to sunlight or in soil.
Numerous tests have shown neem oil to be effective as an insecticide, miticide,
fungicide, nematacide, and as an insect antifeedant and repellant. An insect antifeedant is a substance that discourgages
insect feeding but does not directly kill the insect. |
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