SNEAK ATTACK -- HELP

My tropical mimosa forest was doing great and then the SNEAK ATTACK occurred. MEALY BUGS, in all of their white fuzzy wonder. OK I said to the little devils, I'm ready for you. I reached for my trusty Insecticidal Soap and lightly sprayed the little devils. The next morning I expected to see all of those adult devils gone. BUT instead almost all of my foliage was shrivel and fallen all over the place. Now I've use insecticidal soap as my first go to on just about everything and never results like this.

So HELP, What can I use on my Tropical Mimosa " Leucaena glauca Leucaena leucocephala " for these little white devils???

thanks folks

Soaps do have that effect in more or less degree on several genera and species. If it's a commercial pesticide, you should always read the cautions on the label.

That all said, I'd suggest a pyrethrin spray. It has little residual effect and I've not found any plant that reacts to it yet, and none are listed on any of the labels I've read.

Thanks Jim. As an old Master Gardner, in 2 states and an instructor, and licensed in pesticides, I not only preached "read the label first" but actually always do it. Many of our tropical and semi-tropicals for course are not listed on our labels. So as sometimes happens with my mimosa, it creates a problem. I prefer to not use chemicals if possible. but as you suggest I will try some pyrethrin.

The worst infestation of mealy bugs was on a rare tropical bonsai which I was taking care of for a friend. It's called erythroxylum and was full of bugs. I knew she had tried everything to get rid of the mealy bugs so I took my rubbing alcohol and hand applied to each bug I could find daily for a week. At the end of the summer she gave the plant to me and I have had no problem with it for the five years I had it in my collection.

Good luck, Norma

I ask the good folks at Wigert's this question which was where I had purchased the mimosa. Their quick and kind respond was to first ask if I had sprayed it while it was in the sun. Answer is no. It was in my sun room out of the sun.

Their recommendation was:
"we usually reccomend 3 in 1 spray by bayer available at lowes
this will work well but spray when its in the shade or in the evening.
repeat in 5 to 7 days then as needed."

Just thought I would share and publicly thank the good folks down at Wigerts..