Plant Disease Id Help

[Prudie]

Please could someone help me ID this plant disease - I have a bougainvillea in my conservatory that has always been trouble free but in the last month it has developed pure white blobs of stuff on the stems mainly. It's like a blob of candyfloss, really bright white, when you pick it off it's sticky and breaks down to a brownish goo. No sign of any insect. I thought of powdery mildew but pictures of that look more spread all over the leaf, not so dense and certainly not so white.

[woofgang]

Without a pic I am going to go for mealy bugs. They are nasty to have on your plants, spread rapidly, are hard to kill and you will need to scrub round window frames and so on as well. Sorry. I lost all my in house orchid collection to them and then got it back again and lost a second lot. It wasn't until I scrubbed around the window frames of the window where I kept them that I managed to get clear. Infestation is normally brought in on a new plant. Google for remedies but they didn't work for me. Sorry

[Prudie]

OH dear, I've googled and that looks like what it is. Never come across that before. I had already tried an insecticidal spray and a general fungal one with no effect.
I wonder if flea spray would do it :-) Thanks anyway.

[woofgang]

nope, the only thing that is known to maybe work is alcohol sprayed or dabbed on the areas after the protective fluff has been brushed off....and repeat, and repeat and clean all the greenhouse nooks and crannies as well. When I had it and googled, I found a bloke who had lost his whole cactus collection to it. Its a good idea also to prune affected plants that can be pruned very hard and remove and burn the prunings or give them a good dousing in alcohol (surgical spirit) before putting them in the rubbish, don't compost them. This will give you less area to treat.....but plan for the worst and do, as I said, give your conservatory a good clean and spray around with alcohol.

[woofgang]

edit: If I got it again, i wouldn't hesitate to dispose of all affected plants quickly to stop the spread....I hesitated last time and lost the lot.

[murraymints]

as woofy said..it's all about damage limitation/control

[malagabob]

Sounds like mealy bug. Vodka on a cotton bud and lots of patience.