Meths and mealy eggs

[Eric Williams]

I have read that mealy eggs are covered in wax same as adult mealies. A dab of meths kills the adult, but can meths also destroy the eggs ? Cheers

[el48tel]

I am convinced it can ... soak the clean roots for couple of minutes

[ralphrmartin]

Whenever I have sprayed a plant with meths, I've not seen any mealies come back on the same plant.

By the way, have you notced how expensive meths is these days? £4 for 500ml in Wilko. I'm beginning to wonder if white spirit w2ould do the job at half the price.

[el48tel]

Whenever I have sprayed a plant with meths, I've not seen any mealies come back on the same plant.

By the way, have you notced how expensive meths is these days? £4 for 500ml in Wilko. I'm beginning to wonder if white spirit w2ould do the job at half the price.

Ralph if I were visiting you I'd bring you some from our local village DIY shop - under £2 ---- just over £2 for a litre

If I read the comments of others correctly -- it's the methanol in the solution which kills mealies and humans --- not the ethanol

[Chez2]

Whenever I have sprayed a plant with meths, I've not seen any mealies come back on the same plant.

By the way, have you notced how expensive meths is these days? £4 for 500ml in Wilko. I'm beginning to wonder if white spirit w2ould do the job at half the price.

I use isopropyl alcohol. I already have it as i use it from craft projects, hence trying it. As far as I am aware its the alcohol on the waxy coat that does the damage. I don't think ispropyl alcohol smells as bad as the others and is evaporates without leaving a weird smell.

[daydreamer]

My understanding too is that it's the disruption of their protective cuticular wax layer that does the damage. Meths is currently £3 per 500ml at Sainsburys and Screwfix. The issue with White Spirits is that it has a higher boiling range, so it might take longer to evaporate?

[el48tel]

My understanding is that Surgical Spirit could have propan-2-ol in it. This is isopropyl alcohol or isopropanol to the old school non-chemically educated. It has a much higher boiling range (not boiling point because it's a mixture of variable composition). Yes it's toxic - but the toxicity figures are not as low as for methanol which is the main poison added to the ethanol of "meths" (i.e. more of propan-2-ol needed to kill). So as a killing agent --- it's meths -- and it's a material with no known antidote!
With regard to supply of meths --- I'm going to buy all the stock from Mick in the village and sell it to anyone who wants to buy at £3 or 4 for a 500ml --- I'll make a killing (pun intended) -- I think I can probably knock him down a few notes for a caseload.

[Eric Williams]

Hi Chez, what percentage is the isopropyl that you use ? Thanks

[makleodss]

If I had to use meth or isopropyl do I need to dillute it or spray and soak directly on plant?

[el48tel]

If I had to use meth or isopropyl do I need to dillute it or spray and soak directly on plant?

spray neat on plant; soak cleaned roots BRIEFLY