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By jpappy789
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Posts:  166
Joined:  Fri Feb 27, 2015 11:03 pm
#351433
Turns out what I thought was fungal/nematode rot (based on the inside-out drying of plants) was actually a widespread aphid infection. White carcasses now all over my Ping collection and some green/black specs on the undersides of leaves. Great.

Likely too many plants to treat manually through removal or soaking, unless absolutely necessary. Seems like the most commonly prescribed insecticides are either Neem or Bayer (imidacloprid)? Considering this is an indoor collection, would prefer something not smelly (which I hear neem is) and also not horrible to breathe in (although will be spraying outside regardless).

My first time dealing with an outbreak of this size so appreciate any guidance. Also wondering if it's worth treating my Drosera tray on the shelf underneath even without showing any signs of aphids there yet.
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By Ping
Posts:  195
Joined:  Sun Jan 10, 2016 3:04 am
#351446
Imidacloprid is a bit excessive for aphids IMO. I hate to suggest it but a very strict routine of neem oil should be able to knock them out. Aphids don't persist to hard and usually just leave on their own. Problem with Imidaclorpid or Orthene is that you're going to kill off any beneficial insects you have crawling around and that could lead to other potential infestations. A common one that's the #1 hate pest is Spider Mites. If present Imidacloprid is known to boost their breeding hormone and you just killed off any predator of a Spider Mite with the Imidaclorpid. If you wanted to go the organophosphate route I'd probably do Orthene. It'll kill everything and I mean everything but you lower the risk of an unintentional Spider Mite infestation.

I'm not entirely sure how sensitive Pings are to neem oil (I would assume a bit) but I usually do 2Tbsp/gal and spray every 3 days. I'd keep this up for a few weeks. I would also go ahead and assume everything within 10 feet is infected and needs to be treated. Your biggest challenge will be how the Pings react to the neem/organophosphate. In my experience Drosera take a very hard hit when treated with Imidaclorpid but bounce back within a month or so. It may be worth it to do the drowning route.
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By Matt
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Joined:  Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:28 pm
#351447
Ping wrote:Imidacloprid is a bit excessive for aphids IMO. I hate to suggest it but a very strict routine of neem oil should be able to knock them out. Aphids don't persist to hard and usually just leave on their own.
Agree!

Ping wrote:A common one that's the #1 hate pest is Spider Mites. If present Imidacloprid is known to boost their breeding hormone and you just killed off any predator of a Spider Mite with the Imidaclorpid.
I didn't know that! That's very good to know.
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By Ping
Posts:  195
Joined:  Sun Jan 10, 2016 3:04 am
#351468
jpappy789 wrote:Thank you for the quick replies! Are the spray-ready neem products (e.g. Bonide) in the right concentration already, or better off getting the concentrated (70%) stuff?
Here is exactly what I use. I'd go with the concentrate just because it'll last soo much longer than premixed products.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Garden-Safe-Br ... 1000344111
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By Ping
Posts:  195
Joined:  Sun Jan 10, 2016 3:04 am
#351471
Matt wrote:
Ping wrote:A common one that's the #1 hate pest is Spider Mites. If present Imidacloprid is known to boost their breeding hormone and you just killed off any predator of a Spider Mite with the Imidaclorpid.
I didn't know that! That's very good to know.
Yes, sir! Here's a little snip from an experiment with Imidaclorpid. I may have been a little off but the conclusion seems the same - Spider Mite explosion.

This is also the first study to separate the direct impact of imidacloprid on spider mite fecundity from the plant-mediated effect on spider mite reproduction. We show that imidacloprid enhances quality of plants for spider mites that lay more eggs when feeding on imidacloprid-treated plants.
Matt liked this
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By Ping
Posts:  195
Joined:  Sun Jan 10, 2016 3:04 am
#351483
jpappy789 wrote:Ok, grabbed some concentrate and going to try 2 tbsp per gallon. One thing I wanted to ask, I've seen some different recommendations on how often to spray. 3 times per week is enough?
I do 3 days for Sarracenias. I have no idea how sensitive Pings are to neem so you'll have to experiment.
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By Ping
Posts:  195
Joined:  Sun Jan 10, 2016 3:04 am
#351484
Matt wrote:Very interesting! I've never used imidacloprid but now I know never to use it on our plants. Mites are our most frequent pest here in Oregon!
I'll continue to use Imidaclorpid when I need to rotate out Orthene to prevent immunity. I would just be cautious if you're prone or have had Spider Mites in the past. Orthene will effectively do the same thing since you're offing everything expect arachnids (Spider Mites) so they'll have no natural predators but you do remedy yourself of the lovely breeding grounds Imidaclorpid makes for them!

If you're reading this and you've come across Spider Mites look no further than Avid. Bit pricey but will nuke those Spider Mites to another world. You can sometimes find smaller containers on eBay for cheaper since you need such a tiny amount for almost any application. https://www.domyown.com/avid-015-ec-mit ... -2330.html
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By Matt
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Joined:  Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:28 pm
#351492
Ping wrote:If you're reading this and you've come across Spider Mites look no further than Avid. Bit pricey but will nuke those Spider Mites to another world.
100% agree. That is our preferred miticide. We also sell it in small containers, enough to make 5-gallons of spray, on FlytrapStore here:
https://www.flytrapcare.com/store/avid-miticide
By mcgrumpers
Posts:  254
Joined:  Fri Jan 11, 2019 4:39 am
#351500
I only battled aphids once so take this with a grain of salt. My VFTs were completely unaffected by neem. My pings clearly didn't enjoy it but were ok. My sundew, on the other hand, absolutely hated neem and never recovered.

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