It's always the chemicals that get grabbed first...
First off, those don't look like scale. They look more like aphids. The crusty bubles are "mummies" - aphids which have had an egg deposited by a parasitic wasp. See here: - Unless your photos are just that bad, I'm pretty sure that's what you've got going on.
Secondly, rather than putting something toxic on/around your plants, try something beneficial first. You've got a caterpillar, no doubt about it. They're really sneaky, and they'll always come out when you aren't in. So here's a trick I like to use: spread cornmeal around the plant. In a ring, all the way around. Many caterplillars love the stuff, and it makes them sick. Like they can't move. They're easy pickings when they've had their fill. But you can also look for the guy in the dark hours. Early morning or evening. What doesn't get eaten goes right into the soil. Good business.
First off, those don't look like scale. They look more like aphids. The crusty bubles are "mummies" - aphids which have had an egg deposited by a parasitic wasp. See here: - Unless your photos are just that bad, I'm pretty sure that's what you've got going on.
Secondly, rather than putting something toxic on/around your plants, try something beneficial first. You've got a caterpillar, no doubt about it. They're really sneaky, and they'll always come out when you aren't in. So here's a trick I like to use: spread cornmeal around the plant. In a ring, all the way around. Many caterplillars love the stuff, and it makes them sick. Like they can't move. They're easy pickings when they've had their fill. But you can also look for the guy in the dark hours. Early morning or evening. What doesn't get eaten goes right into the soil. Good business.
