Pest control advice?

[nodine]

Tomorrow, I'm planning to fog my greenhouse with a mixture of water and Mycotrol O (at 2tsp per gallon). This is my attempt to knock down the mealy bugs, fungus gnats and other soft-bodies little bastards on my plants and in their mediums.

I've spot tested on some plants with absolutely no adverse effects. However, saturating the greenhouse interior is a BIG commitment. There's no way I can prevent at least some of the solution entering Nepenthes pitchers - where I hope it is digested ;-)

cdn.arbico-organics.com/downloads/mycotrolo_label.pdf

Anybody want to offer advice that would stop me from proceeding???

Thanks in advance for any info or assistance that helps protect my babies.

[Joseph Clemens]

Sounds like an interesting product. I am anxious to hear of your results. I need to be careful of products like this, used outdoors, since I am also a practicing beekeeper, raising queen bees. I have read that this product may be potentially pathogenic to bees, but not as insidious as systemic insecticides. Though I am also an avid horticulturist who can appreciate non-insecticidal (low toxicity) means of dealing with those persistent pests that plague our plants.

[Not a Number]

Yes, keep us informed on the results. I don't it imagine it being any more harmful to plants as the other biologicals such as Bt or Spinosad.

$130US per quart is a little steep for my budget but if it controls mealybugs I'm all for it.

[nodine]

The deed is done.

I waited until Jan 23 2011 for the first application of the fungus spores in an attempt to increase chances of success.

Mycotrol O, at two teaspoons per gallon, was applied through my fogger to the entire interior of my greenhouse. About .25 gallons were applied by course fog (larger water droplets) and .25 gallons were applied at a more fine droplet size (and more air, I think). Special effort was made to coat all exposed plant surfaces, without solution runoff. I doubt that much of it penetrated the sphagnum mediums used for my Nepenthes.

This morning, the greenhouse was flooded by a feed-line to the RO unit popping off :-) Fortunately, the damage is only to my water bill.

So this morning when the flood waters abated, there was NO indication that the Mycotrol O had been applied. Nothing. Well, I did find a mealybug sitting on a fresh N. veitchii leaf. The mealybug hasn't moved all day - which means nothing, really.

Since there's no apparent damage to my plants, I'll reapply every seven days for the next month. Maybe all of the evil mealybug will be dead by then!

More info to come as developments are observed.

[eric]

Thanks for the info!

[Not a Number]

I wouldn't expect any "knock-em-dead-quick" effects from a biological. I don't know how Mycotrol works, but Bt blocks the nutrient intake of the gut lining of certain larvae which then starve to death. This is not a quick process. It also means that the larvae have to first ingest the biological.

[nodine]

I've used this product several times, now. I can't tell you that it's effectively killing mealybug and other soft-bodied suckers, because I battle these creatures on several fronts It does appear to be another weapon in this battle that does not cause collateral damage to any of the plants I grow in my greenhouse.

I am very interested in the experience of others using Beauveria bassiana.

Cheers!

I can say that this product has not damaged my Nepenthes, Sundews and a wide variety of orchids.