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Mealybugs & Black soot on my Japanese Yews
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lucyloo
nope
Member since 1/06 9758 total posts
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Mealybugs & Black soot on my Japanese Yews
What a mess. The first issue is it is not being watered properly, I am actually going to be installing some drip irrigation.
Is there something I can do to help this shrub?
Greenfreak - I'd love to here some non chemical options! Image Attachment(s):
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Posted 6/29/11 11:14 AM  |
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greenfreak
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Member since 9/06 11483 total posts
Name:
greenfreak
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Re: Mealybugs & Black soot on my Japanese Yews
Posted by dita
What a mess. The first issue is it is not being watered properly, I am actually going to be installing some drip irrigation.
Is there something I can do to help this shrub?
Greenfreak - I'd love to here some non chemical options!
Lucky thing I've got one for ya 
I had the SAME problem with some yews I had at a previous residence. They actually came in my window and infected my house plants too. 
First things first - are those branches dead? You can scratch the surface and if you see green or white, you're good. If not, cut the branches off, on an angle, about 1/2 inch from the main stems. Dead branches won't really help anything, and they won't come back.
Mealy bugs are soft-bodied and easier to eradicate than hard-bodied insects. You just have to suffocate them. Here's what I use:
One capful/tablespoon of Neem oil
One generous squeeze of dishwashing soap
Fill the rest of the spray bottle with water and shake well
The oil clogs up their pores and the soap is a surfactant, helping increase it's effectiveness. As with any oil, it's best to spray after sunset so it doesn't fry in the sun, and to keep shaking/mixing as you go.
Spray the **** out of anyplace you see them and even where you don't see them. Neem is a natural oil that you could brush your teeth with if you wanted to (but I don't recommend - it smells like onions) and the soap won't harm the plant. So go wild.
I'd reapply in 48 hours, and keep going every 2 days till they're gone. With that much damage, they're probably in a lot of different stages of development and you'll need to kill the adults and babies.
Drip irrigation is an excellent idea too. Sorry this is so long, good luck, and thanks for asking about the non-chemical route. 
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| Posted 6/29/11 12:42 PM |
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lucyloo
nope
Member since 1/06 9758 total posts
Name:
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Re: Mealybugs & Black soot on my Japanese Yews
Thank you!
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| Posted 6/29/11 1:45 PM |
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