Tiny white hair like bugs on Petunias - Help!

Question

I have a small "porch garden" of mostly petunias on my condo balcony. Usually, the petunias thrive. They just got COVERED with tiny white hair like bugs on the back of the leaves, and are showing signs of weakness. What to do? I could not really SEE bug features, they look like tiny 'hairs', but I know it is "something alive." (massive amts.) thanks!

Answer 1

They are "wooly aphids" heres some pictures of them

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...

Answer 2

um..

get new flowers! =]

Answer 3

I have gotten the same thing on some of my plants. It is a nest of some type of tiny bugs. One of the old fashioned remedies is Ivory dish liquid. Go over the affected area with a watered down squirt of Ivory mixed with mostly water to remove the nest. I actually took mine out of the pot after treatment, and put them in a bigger pot. Ivory was the old fertilizer used on peoples lawns etc... "like forever ago".

But I have used other liquids in small amounts.

If you transplant you can increase your moisture control by mixing some peat moss or miracle grow moisture control with your regular potting mix. I actually have used both in the mix. If you have a chance to purchase some of the cheep dollar general bug control mix for gardens it works great. But you need to apply a small amount about every 4 to 6 weeks to keep it affective.