Treatment for Bamboo Mealybug?

[Ryan Coover]

I purchased a Buddha's Belly bamboo at a Bamboo Society fundraiser at Zilker Garden Center, Austin Texas in the Fall of 2005 and have determined by the photos at Bamboo Flora (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=535) that it has the Bamboo Mealybug - Palmicultor lumpurensis. Since this is my first time planting bamboo in my yard and no neighbor with in many blocks has bamboo, I can confirm that the bug came with the purchase.:eek:

Can anyone recommend what treatment to use to get rid of this pest,
what dosage, frequency of application, and if their is a best time of
year to apply this treatment?

[ddhort]

Your treatment regimen will depend on your level of infestation and your tolerance for pesticides.

If you can thin out the grove/planting, especially the most infested canes, you might want to simply use a stream of water from the hose (sweeper nozzles with a shut off valve are good) up and down the canes will diminish the population considerably. Look for ants as they feast on the sweet excretions of the mealy and will protect the insect as the food provider. Get rid of the ants with insecticidal soap.

I've seen, especially with clumpers, the planting gets too crowded and there is insufficient air circulation. This environment encourages pests such as mealy, scale and mites.

Orthenex (4% Acephate) is a systemic pesticide meaning you do not have to directly contact the insect to kill them. It's powerful stuff for outdoor use only and you should have proper protection when spraying. An alternative is inseciticidal soap at a 2% water to soap rate, i.e., 5 tablespoons per gallon of water.

Best of luck,

David

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Ryan, sorry to hear you got more then you bargained for with your plant.
Unfortunately with our warmer than usual winters this critter (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=535) is moving further north.

David, thanks for your suggestions. Have you seen this critter out west yet?
I too have heard that systemics are being used.
I am at an event this weekend which a number of bamboo growers are attending and will see what I can find out.
Fortunately our own few Bambusa plants haven't been bit by this bug.

Mark

[ddhort]

Hi Mark,
Due to the biggest agricultural industry in the world (some $12B/year) the state of California also has virtually every critter that eats food and ornamental crops that exist. The state Dept. of AG is also very vigilant about what is imported but new insects arrive with regularity into our ports.

There's no doubt we have this mealy or a variation of it around. The giant mealy is a real problem in the Imperial Valley down south towards the border where much of the curcubit family is grown. They especially love the Hibuscus here in LALA land. Worm castings have proven to deter the hugh populations that build over the long warm season that we have. In addition, many of the pests (aphids, scale, mealy, mites and thrips) revel in the environment of dirty plants. Why do plants get dirty, you may ask? Plain old pollution from vehicles,construction etc. And since we normally do not receive any rainfall from March to October the cleaning of our ornamental plants is up to us.

Best,
David

[Ryan Coover]

David thank you for your tips - I will prepare myself for war!

I usually do not get grossed out but when I get these mealy bugs and squish them I get pretty sick to my stomach. I guess I could collect them and sell them in little bags to others that want to loose weight. Simply open, take one out, squish and then throw up.

I hope you are all not eating when you read this!

Thanks a bunch once more for your help!

Ryan

[Pat Dunphy]

Ryan,

You're lucky, you only have one plant. It can be treated, but with a systemic. And the only known product that's effective and available to consumers is Bayer Tree & Shrub (http://www.bayeradvanced.com/garden/products/details.cfm?id=12). The active ingredient is Imidacloprid (pronounced I-mid-a-clo-prid). You can purchase it at Home Depot or Lowe's for around $19 for 30 oz. It's a soil drench so application is pretty easy. I'd apply it liberally, like double what you think the label recommends. Just be sure the plant is well watered before and after treatment. The pesticide needs to reach the roots for absorption. I'd repeat the treatment in a week or two and then again in early spring before the new shoots have a chance to get going.

This mealy bug has several stages, not all completely understood. It is probably dormant during the winter residing in the soil. In the larval stage it moves around a lot. Additionally it can be blown from plant to plant by the wind or travel on your clothes. Attempting to wash it off with water, high pressure or not, will only spread it. Because it lives under the sheath it's well protected from washing, contact sprays and beneficial predators, like the ladybug. Systemics are the only way you'll get rid of it. Because it may have a soil stage, cutting the plants to the ground probably won't get rid of them.

It was just identified in California at one isolated location. It arrived on a plant purchased from a large grower in Palm Beach, FL. UC Riverside is undertaking a treatment program to eradicate the bugs. When they are done, they expect to have additional systemic product(s) approved and labeled for this pest.

If you see a white crawling bug on your bamboo that you think looks like a mealybug, it probably isn't. It's the juvenile stage of the ladybug, which is a predator of the mealy bug. You don't want to kill these. The bamboo is not white.

Don't let this pest get established. And when you buy a new plant, treat it in the pot and then leave it in the pot for months before you put it in the ground. Because the soil is contained in the pot, the systemic treatment is more effective.

Mark, thanks for posting all of those excellent photos of the pest.


Pat

[Ryan Coover]

Hi Pat,

Just wanted to share my happiness when I read your reply on how to treat these bugs.

Happy belayed gobble gobble!

Ryan

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Pat, sorry to hear that this bamboo mealybug has made it to California.
Unfortunately it appears that this pest may be becoming more widespread here in Texas, especially in the southern half of the state where more tropical clumping bamboos have in the last few years become more popularized.
Ryan, I visited the Buddhist Gardens in SE Texas in November, that had donated plants to the 2005 Texas Bamboo Festival fundraiser and yes, unfortunately unbeknownst to them their bamboo plantings do have this new pest.:(

Regarding treatment, I should note I'm not qualified in this field or have had to personally deal with this pest.

From the tidbits of info I've found on treatment, it seems that systemic products containing Imidacloprid has been the most tried.

Generally systemic products for homeowner application contain a much lower percentage of Imidacloprid for concerns on safety of usage etc.

For example, Bayer Tree & Shrub contains 1.47% Imidacloprid.
See pdf file (34.4KB): 744

Merit 75WP which I've heard has been used in professional applications contains 75% Imidacloprid.
See pdf (71.1 KB): 745

Incorrect dosage can kill the plant and is environmentally hazardous

It is difficult to control this pest on a large established planting unless successive applications are used and at the optimum growing season etc.

See this link to a grower in Florida with products/methods used in a nursery application.
http://www.tropicalbamboo.com/Bamboo_Maintenance.asp

More info on Imidacloprid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imidacloprid

JOURNAL OF PESTICIDE REFORM/ SPRING 2001 VOL. 21, NO. 1 INSECTICIDE FACTSHEET: IMIDACLOPRID
http://www.pesticide.org/imidacloprid.pdf

Mark

[minibamboo]

don't worry about it ,we will give your a best way to get rid ot those pests,
late this week we will send to you.

[Mark Meckes]

minibamboo, is Palmicultor lumpurensis (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=535) also in China?

I have read that it originated in SE Asia, and that it is in Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, and is also referred to as Bamboo Shoot Mealybug because it feeds on new shoots, as well as new branch shoots.

Mark

[minibamboo]

Hi Mark Meckes

Minibamboo is a company in China,we do bamboo products.

I just knew the things by accident, so we think maybe we will have some ideas about ,so I replied the topics.

[ddhort]

Mark et al,
Recently received the Southern California Dec.'06 newsletter which contained specific info on this pest. The link is below if you are interested. Let's hope that they contain this pest as the cure (imidicloprid) is too expensive an approach for our collection.

Happy New Year!

David

http://www.abssocal.org/images/BambooMealyBug.JPG