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Pest Control

Products to Control Hibiscus Pests

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It would be nice if we nice if we didn't have to talk about hibiscus pests, but most people who grow hibiscus will some day be faced with the need to control damaging insects. At HVH, we have tried just about everything available, both in the greenhouse and at home, to deal with insects safely and effectively. Below are the best products we have found to keep your hibiscus free of insects and blooming beautifully.

Harmful insects come in two types: those that damage the leaves and sap the strength of the plants, and those that harm the flowers and buds. The plant and leaf damaging insects include spider mites, whiteflies, aphids. Fortunately, we now have products that help with all of these: Bayer Advanced 3-in-1 and Bayer Tree & Shrub. Insects that cause bud drop or damage flowers, thrips and gall midges, require two of our products listed below, used on a rotation basis - Ortho Systemic Insect Killer and Green Light Spinosad. Scroll down to view or purchase these products:

BAYER ADVANCED 3-IN-1 SPRAY

Best Control for: SPIDER MITES
Also Controls: Whiteflies, Aphids, & Fungus


Bayer Advanced 3-in-1 Spray
Of all the pests that attack hibiscus, spider mites can be the most damaging and hardest to control. If left untreated, hibiscus react to spider mite infestations by dropping all their leaves. This gets rid of the mites but is very stressful to the hibiscus and ruins their appearance until the new leaves grow back. Until recently there has not been a good treatment available to gardeners. Soap and oil products, such as the HVH Clean Leaf, did the job but take perseverance and multiple treatments. Now Bayer has released a product that contains a true miticide (mites are spiders, not insects, and require a special pesticide) along with the excellent systemic insecticide imidacloprid and even a fungicide. All 3 active ingredients are included in this new product that they call simply Bayer Advanced 3-in-1. If you have ever fought spider mites or watched a hibiscus defoliate, this is probably the best product available to get control of the situation. As a bonus, the systemic insecticide in the 3-in-1 will control aphids, whiteflies, and many other insects. The fungicide in the 3-in-1 should help with fungus diseases that attack hibiscus, particularly in the cool, wet months of winter.

One of our High Voltage plants in a 6 inch pot had a bad case of mites with leaves turning yellow and falling off, so we obtained a bottle of this new product in order to test its effectiveness. That was our test plant for the 3-in-1 product, and the result was very good. We only treated the High Voltage once, and a week later we could not find any mites and no more leaves had turned yellow. Now, four weeks later, there are still no signs of spider mites and no more yellow leaves.


Bayer Advanced 3-in-1 Concentrate
Since Bayer Advanced 3-in-1 is new and not yet in many stores (and very hard for us to find!), we decided to offer it direct from our website. This product contains 3 active ingredients that work against insects, mites, and fungus diseases. It is available in a ready-to-spray bottle that requires no mixing and as a concentrate that makes 12 gallons of spray (or refills the spray bottle 48 times when mixed with water).

Order Bayer Advanced 3-in-1:

24-Oz Spray Bottle - $8.99
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32-Oz Concentrate (48 Refills) - $21.99
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BAYER TREE & SHRUB SYSTEMIC

BEST CONTROL FOR: APHIDS, WHITEFLIES, MEALY BUGS


Bayer Tree & Shrub Systemic
Bayer Tree and Shrub is the best control available for both aphids and whiteflies. Spraying pest control products only kills the insects that actually get sprayed, and it does not kill eggs. Although some sprayed products do have a systemic effect, the effect lasts only 2-3 weeks. Bayer Tree and Shrub is a systemic, timed-release product that is used in plant water and poured into the ground or into plant pots, which is by far the safest application method for gardeners. Once in the ground, it has a slow-release effect that lasts up to a year and works the most effectively of all aphid and whitefly treatments we have tried here at HVH. For some people it lasts a full year. Others find they need to use it twice a year to keep aphids and whiteflies completely away from their hibiscus. Either way, it is easy, safe, and very effective. One 32-0z bottle makes aproximately 16 gallons of drench.

NOTE: If spider mites are present on your hibiscus, the active ingredient in this product may stimulate them to lay eggs. So after using this product for aphids or whiteflies, watch your hibiscus carefully. If you see signs of spider mites, spray with Bayers Advanced 3-in-1 to control the spider mites.

Order Bayer Tree & Shrub Systemic:

32-oz Concentrate - $28.99
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ORGANIC PEST CONTROL  ~  HORTICULTURAL OIL

Best Control for: SPIDER MITES
Partially Controls: Aphids, White Flies, Mealy Bugs, Scale


Horticultural Oil ~ Organic Spider Mite Control
Spider mites and other mites that pose a serious threat to hibiscus have always been hard to get rid of. You can clean the plant leaves, blast them with water, or use a chemical miticide to try to control them, but they are always an inconvenient pest that is difficult to control. Many studies of the use of horticultural oils for the control of mites have led to guidelines from many University agriculture extension services that recommend horticultural oil for spider mite control. Some studies have shown them to be as effective as many of the restricted miticides not available to the general public.

Horticultural oil is a highly refined petroleum or paraffin oil that is very light-weight. It is designed for use on plants and doesn't stain or burn them if used according to directions. What it does do is smother many insects, including spider mites. The light-weight oil mostly evaporates and does not remain on the plant more than a day. It can be used in a house and doesn't have an odor or residue that stays in the air. In our tests of this product we have found it easy to use, and highly effective against spider mites.

We are offering horticultural oil in three convenient forms. One is a ready-to-use spray bottle with no mixing required. The second is a concentrate that makes 25 gallons of solution for refilling the spray bottle. The third is a concentrate bottle that is attached to a hose end and used to spray larger numbers of plants in the yard.

Order Organic Horticultural Oil:

32-oz Spray Bottle, Ready to Use - $7.99
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32-oz Concentrate - $10.99
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32-oz Hose End Concentrate, Ready to Use - $12.99
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ORTHO SYSTEMIC INSECT KILLER  and  GREEN LIGHT SPINOSAD

BEST CONTROL FOR: THRIPS


Green Light Spinosad
Thrips are the leading cause of hibiscus plants dropping buds before they bloom. Controlling thrips requires the use of two products in rotation, because if a single product is used continually, thrips will quickly develop resistance to it and it will no longer work. For this reason we recommend spraying two times with Green Light Spinosad and then one time with Ortho Systemic, each spraying 5-7 days apart. Repeat this sequence as often as you need to to control thrips and gall midge.

Green Light Spinosad: Organic spinosad is the active ingredient in Green Light Spinosad. Safe and gentle to use, spinosad is very effective for controlling thrips when used in rotation with Ortho Systemic. It comes in two sizes, both a concentrate that has to be mixed with water. The 32-oz hose-end bottle has a built in connection to a normal garden hose. It mixes automatically with the water coming out of the hose in just the right proportion to spray on landscape plants in your yard. No other sprayer or mixing is required. Just attach the bottle to the end of the hose, point at the plants, and turn on the hose. The 16-oz regular bottle does not have the hose-end connector, and is for mixing with water into your own spray bottle. Both bottles are the exact same concentration of pest control product.

Ortho Systemic Insect Killer: This product contains Orthene, the safest of the old fashioned pesticides (active ingredient acephate). It can be used by itself for excellent control of thrips and midge. However, because it affects many insects, it also kills off some of the good predatory insects that are helpful in preventing damaging insects from multiplying. We recommend using this product in a rotation with Green Light Spinosad. The Spinosad should be used twice, followed by one treatment with Ortho Systemic. This product is a concentrate that is mixed with water and sprayed using your own sprayer.

Ortho Systemic Insect Killer

Order Green Light Spinosad:

32-Oz Hose-End Bottle - $24.99
Quantity:

16-Oz Regular Bottle - $12.99
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Order Ortho Systemic Insect Killer:

26-Oz Concentrate - $14.99
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BIONEEM ORGANIC INSECTICIDE & REPELLENT

CONTROLS OR REPELS: APHIDS, THRIPS, WHITEFLIES, BEETLES, CATERPILLARS, LEAFMINERS


BioNeem Organic Pest Control
In our ongoing efforts to make available the best products for caring for your hibiscus, we are introducing a new organic pest control product that we can highly recommend based on our own experience - Bioneem Insecticide & Repellent.

Bioneem is a natural product made from the seeds of the Neem tree. It has several modes of action against a wide variety of insects, including hibiscus pests aphids, thrips, beetles, and whiteflies. Yet is gentle on plants and does not harm many beneficial insects such as ladybugs. It is both a repellent of harmful insects, and an insect growth regulator that prevents insects from developing into adults that can multiply. Many insects stop feeding immediately upon contact with BioNeem.

This product can be alternated with other pesticides to prevent resistance from developing to any one pesticide, and is a safe and effective way to control insects. For example, controlling thrips requires that another organic product, Spinosad, be rotated with Orthene so that the thrips do not develop resistance to Spinosad. Although Orthene is highly effective against thrips, it is a wide spectrum chemical pesticide that kills both good and bad insects. (It also has a terrible, lingering odor!) BioNeem is a naturally derived product that is gentler on the environment and on beneficial insects while still providing effective thrips control. It helps prolong the usefulness of Spinosad, our mainstay product for preventing thrips from damaging flowers and causing flower buds of hibiscus to drop off before opening.

BioNeem is a concentrate. One bottle will make a little more than 5 gallons of spray after mixing it with water. The spray may damage open hibiscus flowers, but will not hurt the flower buds or the plant if used in early morning or late afternoon. Full directions are on the label attached to the bottle.

As with all our new products, we encourage and appreciate customer feedback on its effectiveness. If you use the products we offer, let us know what you think of them! We test them in our San Diego greenhouse here at HVH, but that doesn't tell us how these products will work in other climates and environments. Please, don't hesitate to give us feedback by replying to this email, or by using any of the contact links on our website. We look forward to hearing from you!

Order BioNeem:

16-Oz Concentrate - $16.99
Quantity:


 

RESPIRATORS FOR SPRAYING ANYTHING!

FOR USE WITH ALL PRODUCTS, INCLUDING ORGANIC PRODUCTS


Silicone Respirator Mask
If you spray ANYTHING on your hibiscus you need protection for your lungs. Even organic products, such as the Clean Leaf spray and Synergy, put droplets into the air that are breathed in unless a respirator mask is used. If you have used Clean Leaf, you may have noticed that after spraying you do not feel good, which is due to breathing in the fine droplets of oil and soap as you spray. Even though they are not toxic these materials can interfere with proper lung function until they are cleared from the nose, throat, and lungs. It is much better to prevent inhalation of spray material of any type, and even more so for chemical pesticides. To prevent virtually all exposure to sprays you need to slip on a respirator that is fitted with filters designed and certified to use with oils and organic vapors.

After trying just about every type of protective mask out there we settled on an excellent one to offer our customers. It is made of silicone which makes it very soft, comfortable, and form fitting. It is available in small, medium, and large sizes. The replaceable P100 filters that attach directly to the mask are NIOSH approved and rated to remove 99.7 percent of all particles in the air that is breathed. They will filter out oil droplets and every type of solid or liquid mist. The mask comes with one pair of filters that should be replaced annually. You can feel the difference after spraying. That's our experience and we want to make sure everyone knows about and uses respirators if they spray anything on their hibiscus.

In addition to protecting you while spraying your hibiscus or other plants, these masks are excellent for wearing while painting. We have also obtained considerable relief using these when wildfires have sent a lot of smoke our way. They are useful on smoggy days if you need to be outside for awhile.

Our respirator masks come in three sizes. Medium fits almost everyone. Women with very tiny, narrow faces will need a small mask. Men with very large, wide faces will need a large mask. Each mask comes complete with a set of filters, which need to be replaced at least once a year - more often if you spray frequently. (You'll know you need to replace the filters when it becomes hard to breathe through them or when you smell any pest control product odor at all.)

Order Silicone Respirator Mask:

Mask with 1 pair P100 Filters, Medium Size (Fits almost all) - $49.99
Quantity:

Mask with 1 pair P100 Filters, Small Size (For very tiny, narrow faces) - $49.99
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Mask with 1 pair P100 Filters, Large Size (For very wide, male faces) - $49.99
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Replacement Filters (P100) - $19.99
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Sluggo

SLUGGO ORGANIC SNAIL AND SLUG BAIT

BEST CONTROL FOR: SLUGS AND SNAILS

Snails and slugs are common pests that feed on hibiscus flowers and leaves. They hide under fallen leaves or low-growing plants during the day, and come out at night to feed on plants and blooms. They are worse just after rain or after watering with sprinklers. We always avoided placing chemical snail baits around our hibiscus due to our cats and dogs who are attracted to the baits. However, now there is a new type of bait that is natural, organic, and still very effective at ridding your yard of snails and slugs. The active ingredient is iron phosphate, a combination of iron and phosphorus which are both ingredients in fertilizer and which provide extra plant food to the soil as they break down either before or after being eaten by the snails and slugs. Highly effective, and highly recommended - even for vegetable gardens!  (Also see Sluggo Plus which is great if you have problems with snails and crawling insects such as pillbugs).

Most snail and slug infestations can be controlled in hibiscus gardens with 2-3 yearly applications of Sluggo. The wetter the weather and your garden are, the more effective Sluggo will be.


Sluggo Plus
We have two Sluggo products available:

  • Sluggo in a 10 lb Jug: Pure Sluggo, will treat a large yard or garden 2-4 times.
  • Sluggo Plus in a 2.5 lb Jug: Sluggo with added spinosad for added control of earwigs, cutworms, sowbugs, pillbugs, and possibly thrips. Will treat a small yard or garden 2-4 times.
Both products are safe for: vegetables, fruit trees, citrus, berries, ornamentals, shrubs, flowers, trees, lawns, gardens, and greenhouses.

Order Sluggo Organic Snail & Slug Bait:

Sluggo, 10-lb Jug - $45.99
Quantity:

Sluggo Plus, 2.5-lb Jug - $24.99
Quantity:


 

Helpful Hint: Do you know why we always say "control" rather than "eliminate" when talking about insects? This is because it is next to impossible to eliminate every single harmful insect from your garden. It is not necessary to do so either. It takes a lot of individual insects to do noticeable harm to your hibiscus. A few of them will not cause a problem and normally the predatory insects that are always present in your garden will be enough to keep them in check. However, once they grow in number beyond what the beneficial insects can handle, they will begin to damage your plants. At that point we recommend using pest control products to decrease their numbers below the level at which they do noticeable harm.

For more information about each specific hibiscus pest, or to diagnose your pest problem, go to our
HVH Pest Control Care Page.