Mealybugs…on poinsettia??

MB on stems
Citrus mealybug feeding on a flower stem.

Last year several consultants and I noticed something strange.  A number of greenhouses in Ontario had noticeable infestations of mealybug in their poinsettia crop.  This was the first time many in their 25+ year careers had seen this (e.g. see Mel Sawaya’s article in Greenhouse Canada Magazine).

It’s unclear yet if phenomenon will repeat itself this year (or perhaps affect even more operations), but growers should be on the lookout for this pest. Keep reading for more information about the potential cause of these mealybug infestations, and possible solutions.

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Pests on Points: head off problems now!

Many of you will be getting in your poinsettia cuttings a few short weeks from now.  Why not head off whitefly issues as soon as the points come in the door? 

Whitefly on poinsettia.
Whitefly on poinsettia. Photo by Graeme Murphy.

Drs. Rose Buitenhuis and Michael Brownbridge of the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre put on their thinking caps and came up with an elegant solution to prophylactically treat the whitefly that inevitably come in with poinsettia cuttings. By dipping cuttings  in reduced-risk insecticidal products (BotaniGard, horticultural oils) before sticking, whitefly populations can be reduced in the crop by over 70%. And, because the dip materials are “soft” pest control products, you can (and should) begin your biocontrol program immediately.  Dips should be effective against both biotypes Bemisia (aka silverleaf whitefly), as well as greenhouse whitefly.

For more details on products, proceedures and rates, click here: http://www.flowerscanadagrowers.com/uploads