Hi, I have a 50+ year old Hoya plant that has Oleander bugs. Yes, these are the small orange/yellow bugs that attack new growth. It had gotten them last year and I treated the plant by hosing it off and wiping the bugs off the new growth with water and dish detergent. It appeared to control the outbreak, until this summer when new growth appeared again. I’ve been wiping with water and dish detergent again, but the plant is going through a big growth spurt and I’m finding so many of these bugs now. I now want to take a more aggressive approach to eliminating these pests. I also grow orchids and African violets and do not wish to have these plants become infested. I will take any advice you can give me, I live near the East Greenbush store so I can go there to purchase any product you recommend. Thank you for any help you can give.
Sincerely,
Laurie St.Onge-Merges
I suggest dropping by Hewitts and getting some systemic insecticide granules for houseplants. You put into the soil according to the directions and it dissolves and is taken up by the plant and any insect that sucks on or feeds on the plant takes up the insecticide. It lasts long enough to kill insects after they hatch but before they reproduce. One application is usually enough.