Ants vs Scales what to do?

[BigB]

A lot of my potted peppers have ants living in the pots, bigger pots up to 15 gallons.  The plants are big and don't seem to be suffering really, but the scales are starting to spread more and I see a lot of ants colonizing, climbing up the trunk eating the scale honeydew and building mounds of dirt up the trunk too. what's the best way to alleviate the situation?

 

[Rymerpt]

https://youtu.be/7r-AihMwZSk

 

[geeme]

Sounds like aphids, not scale.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_insect
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid- emit honeydew that ants love
 
Also sounds like you've been too nice to them, including the ants. What to do? Kill them. Given it sounds like you have a bad infestation, I'd suggest Neem oil. Some people will tell you to spray them off, but all that does is remove the visible problem. The eggs are tiny, often embedded in plant walls. Spraying off the ones you can see doesn't do anything about the eggs, so use Neem.
..... and even if they are scale and not aphids, kill them.

 

[moruga welder]

Sounds like aphids, not scale.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_insect
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid- emit honeydew that ants love
 
Also sounds like you've been too nice to them, including the ants. What to do? Kill them. Given it sounds like you have a bad infestation, I'd suggest Neem oil. Some people will tell you to spray them off, but all that does is remove the visible problem. The eggs are tiny, often embedded in plant walls. Spraying off the ones you can see doesn't do anything about the eggs, so use Neem.

..... and even if they are scale and not aphids, kill them.

i'd be nuking em ! 

 

[dragonsfire]

Repot and drown them. Wash the plant in a bucket/bath of water.

 

[sirex]

Dr bronners Castile soap. I use on my ants and aphids. Stops them dead in their tracks- literally - dead where they stand.

I've used Neem oil, dish soap and water, spraying them and the only thing that has worked has been the Castile soap.

I'm telling you just Google it.

 

[BigB]

Sounds like aphids, not scale.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_insect
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid- emit honeydew that ants love
 
Also sounds like you've been too nice to them, including the ants. What to do? Kill them. Given it sounds like you have a bad infestation, I'd suggest Neem oil. Some people will tell you to spray them off, but all that does is remove the visible problem. The eggs are tiny, often embedded in plant walls. Spraying off the ones you can see doesn't do anything about the eggs, so use Neem.

..... and even if they are scale and not aphids, kill them.

 i'm 100% sure it's scales. it's like barnacles on the trunk and yes the ants do eat the honeydew they secret

Dr bronners Castile soap. I use on my ants and aphids. Stops them dead in their tracks- literally - dead where they stand.

I've used Neem oil, dish soap and water, spraying them and the only thing that has worked has been the Castile soap.

I'm telling you just Google it.

 I have Dr. Bronner's sal suds