Coffee grinds for mealybugs?

F1aReD · Post by **F1aReD** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:10 am

I tried to do a search on coffee grinds for mealybugs, but I couldn't find anything. I believe my new Trachy is starting to get these, it's not to bad yet but I want to rid the plant of them ASAP. I will try to post some pictures later, W has the camera today. I've heard of putting a little dish soap into a spray bottle w/ water, and spraying that, or some Alcohol in the sprayer with water...Is it the same procedure with coffee grinds? I also need to repot this soon, will that cause a problem if the bugs are in the soil?<br>
Thanks,
Andy

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:14 pm

Brew up some weak coffee and spray it on the plants.

I did this on my T.ferns last year and they (mealy bugs)went bye,bye.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 8:57 pm

Sure...now Jim tells us the secret

I used coffee grounds as a top dressing on the soil.
But there's a risk it changes the pH to more acidic than you may want.

Apparently coffee grounds as a top dressing works great on cycads for scale.
Didn't work worth a damn on mine.

Let us know what you did, and how it worked, Andy.
Barb

F1aReD · Post by **F1aReD** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:59 am

Well, apparently I don't know how to brew "weak" coffee...because it looked and tasted like regular coffee. Of course, I had a couple cups then watered down the rest of it a bit more. I poured it into a spray bottle and went all over the Trachy, I tried to get on the undersides of the fronds, in little spots they may be hiding, etc. I just did this so I am going to wait and post my results.<br>
Is there anything else I can do? How can I tell if they're dead?

Andy