Mealy bugs

[maddie]

Overnight some of my plants seem to have been infested with mealy bugs. Does anyone know of an effective method to get rid of them?
I just sprayed my plants with a strong stream of water which has dislodged some of these pests. I have removed whatever was left over by hand, I do realize that I may have missed some and I might find some tomorrow... How do I handle this problem?
Does dish soap work well with mealy bugs? I await your suggestions.. My plants are placed very close to one another as I have a small space. I need to handle this ASAP.

 

[Jed]

Mealy bugs. Is that what they are called? I never had a name for them.
I have them on my lemon tree in the hot house and I squash them and hose off the soot and rub the leaves.
You can try making up a white oil emulsion or buy some. It is easy to make up. http://www.aila.org.au/canberragarden/maintenance/white_oil.pdf

I also googled up this below.
To keep mealybugs and scale under control, rub trunks with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.

 

[Tmann]

I had them on my plumeria in november. To get rid of them I wiped them off with a wet paper towel repeatedly then only then when I thought I got them all I sprayed them with seven to kill any I might have missed.

 

[maddie]

@ Jed, I googled it too.. I was afraid of rubbing alcohol and hurting my plants. these are small flowering plants... I will give it a go.
@ tmann, I will wipe the leaves again and spray them.. hopefully this will work. I am really worried as I have no space to quarantine the infested plants.
I appreciate the response and the help.. thanks once again.

 

[Pat]

I wiped my plants with rubbing alcohol to get rid of the bugs, I had to do it a few times but it did work.

 

[patti]

Found this recipe for organic home made insecticide. Works great on keeping cats outta flowerbeds too.To make a batch, combine 1 garlic bulb, 1 small onion, and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a food processor or blender and process into a paste. Mix into 1 quart of water and steep for 1 hour. Strain through a cheesecloth and add 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Mix well. The mixture can be stored for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.