kiling soft body scale

[spongey600]

wentout this morning and well my big brain has scale, i did not have time to instpect the level of infestation but inotices 5-6 leaves and i squished the ones i saw, who has a way to kill them? organic or not. there are a few ripening pods on it now.

thank you

 

[cory_huck]

says to use a face sponge dipped in rubbing alcohol, and scrub them. They are covered in a wax armor, so they are a bitch. Be careful with the alcohol, that could hurt your plant. I dont know another way... Lemme do some research dude.

if you can pick the leafs off that have them, they say to do that first...

 

[romy6]

Man the sucks Eric. Keep us posted. I have no idea what to do but like Corey I will research it an email ya some info!

 

[Cayennemist]

Man that sucks, I am interested to learn how to kill them.



This place says

Scale are preyed on by beneficial insects like soldier beetles, lady beetles and parasitic wasps.

http://gardening.abo...le_Instects.htm


Armstrong nursery on morena has lady bugs... maybe the oxy pads that teenagers use for acne will work- thats one thing they say in the article

 

[cory_huck]

Eric.... Scales are bad. There is no good way to get rid of them unless the plant is in dormant stage. What they do, is they insert long, needle like feeding tubes into the branch, and then they stay there for life. They WILL suck the life out of the plant. The only way to get rid of them, is to try to spray with Dormant Oil, but its important not to do it when the plant is budding and is super hard on perrenials...the oil alone can kill them. The only other option that I see is for you to inspect it closely, and squish all you see.... then you will need to keep an eye out for the eggs...

Sorry you are dealing with this man!

 

[nitwit]

maybe a sesame and fish oil spray
it is a little stinky but works against the F-ing whiteflies that make lemon trees poor

http://www.organiclabs.com/Images/LabelImages/ConcentrateDirections.pdf

have used this with some success on aphid like stuff and some leafhoppers

good growing

 

[spongey600]

In my free time i will remove effected leaves and keep an eye in future! Hopefully i csn get rid of them!

 

[mikeinsc]

Mealybug destroyers are quite effecive against soft armor scale too.

 

[Cayennemist]

last year I got my kids Lady bugs from Armstrong it was like 10$ for 300 or something. That was a fund day, my kids had a blast.

 

[spongey600]

i am going to check the plant tomorrow and if the infestation is not too bad i will remove all leaves, if not i will use a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol

 

[Cayennemist]

i am going to check the plant tomorrow and if the infestation is not too bad i will remove all leaves, if not i will use a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol

Dude that blows! I want to hear how this goes, in case I get them.
I'm like a mile away as the crow flys. You think they came in on a plant or are just a local pest? How else would they get up there on your balcony? I hope they don't get airborne.

This site has some interesting tips.
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/problems/scale-bug-how-to-control-plant-scale.htm

Homemade Control of Plant Scale

Many people prefer to use homemade control of plant scale. Insecticidal soap is a safe and effective alternative to conventional insecticides. You can bleach free dishwashing liquid (1 1/2 teaspoons per one quart of water) in place of commercial insecticide soaps. Homemade control of plant scale can also be achieved with oil spray. Mix two tablespoons of cooking oil and two tablespoons of baby shampoo in one gallon of water. This can also be mixed with one cup of alcohol to help penetrate the insect’s shell.
If a fungus is also present, add two tablespoons of baking soda. Test the spray on a small area of the plant, beforehand and wait 2-3 days, to check for damage. Do not spray plants in the sun or on hairy or waxy-leaved plants. Shake well before and during application. Spray every 5-7 days as needed, covering both sides of the foliage. Wash the leaves individually with the soap/oil mixture and rinse well.