Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 11:00:36 -0500 (CDT) From: Paul Burkhardt <burkhard@aries.scs.uiuc.edu> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2184$foo@default> Subject: Insect pests, etc.
Hello to all,
It seems that quite a few of us are having problems with pests. I had
recently added a new nepenthes to my nep terrarium, only to find out weeks
later that it was infested. To my horror, I was to begin a battle with
greenflies, whiteflies, thrips, scales, fungus gnats, and spider mites. I
only wished that I had seen these bugs earlier for now they had begun to
spread to all my other neps! I usually inspect all new plants that I
receive for signs of parasites, and I spray them down liberally with
distilled water to knock off any unseen eggs, etc. But that was apparently
inadequate. I tried to remove any parasites by hand, either by wetted
Q-tip or by cutting off infested leaves, but to no avail. In a last
desperate attempt at saving my plants I got out a bottle of Pyrethrin, an
extract of Chrysanthemums, and sprayed. I sprayed as thoroughly as I
could, top of the leaves, under the leaves, the stems, the pitchers, even
including the medium just in case some individuals decided to bale off the
plants. I then rinsed my neps with distilled water, in precaution of any
caustic affects the Pyrethrin might have.
Four days have passed now, and not a single stir of any parasitic life.
Fingers are still crossed. As for the neps, it wasn't easy being a battle
ground. Old leaves, new young pitchers, and some of the older pitchers
bear scars from the Pyrethrin spray, brownish black translucent spots, as
if from being sprayed with oil. Other than that, the plants look okay.
Good luck to all of you out there with similar struggles. If you use
Pyrethrin, perhaps diluting the solution would suffice. But then again, do
you want to take the chance that there will be survivors?
Paul Burkhardt
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