Endless battle with Scale on plant

[Marb67]

I cant remember what the name of this houseplant is but for year and years and years washing and scrubbing the foliage with soapy water with neem oil, peppermint, lavender mix etc over and over and over and over again they are still here !!!!!! Their sticky residue is all over the back of the sofa its a nightmare.

Firstly, neem oil is cobblers. it doesn't kill anything. So what can I do except concede and buy a bug gun with nasty chemicals ? Its exasperating!

Why does this site keep stating “ERROR PLEASE UPLOAD AT LEAST 1 PHOTO”when I have uploaded a photo which is showing on the page?

[Snoop Puss]

Hi Marb.

Can you tell us more about your device that you upload photos from and your file format? I must admit I'm not an expert on this aspect of the Vine but will try and find out more info if you can give me more details.

Also, can you upload a photo of the insects themselves? That way we might be able to come up with a better solution.

As for your comments about neem, I might not have used the same word but I share the sentiment.

[Marb67]

Hi Marb.

Can you tell us more about your device that you upload photos from and your file format? I must admit I'm not an expert on this aspect of the Vine but will try and find out more info if you can give me more details.

Also, can you upload a photo of the insects themselves? That way we might be able to come up with a better solution.

As for your comments about neem, I might not have used the same word but I share the sentiment.

I use an ipad, desktop and smartphone for uploading,

I didn't photograph the scale insect but can assure they were. The sap they produce is also evidence.

Cobblers is a Northern phrase for no good

[Snoop Puss]

I'll try and find out more about photo uploading, Marb. Do you have the same problem with all three devices?

[Marb67]

I'll try and find out more about photo uploading, Marb. Do you have the same problem with all three devices?

I think it's the phone and the ipad.

[Snoop Puss]

I think it's the phone and the ipad.

Thanks. Is the phone an iPhone or Android?

[mothhawk]

That looks like a Schefflera, Marb, common name umbrella tree.

There are nematodes you can buy, but they are quite expensive compared to a pesticide spray, or even buying a new plant, but the blurb does say enough to treat 15 large plants, so if the scale is on other plants too it might be worth the cost. Either way, it's not a quick fix with scale and you have to keep at it. The females lay their eggs (up to 2000!) under the scale so unless you can remove every single one the infestation returns.

TBH I had a lemon tree that was infested and after 3 months I gave up and just ditched it.

[Marb67]

well I can’t believe this, they are back as the sticky residue is showing. This is absolutely impossible as I scrubbed and scrubbed and sprayed in the garden a couple of times with neem, soap and peppermint oil. How on earth can they still be here ? 😡

The only thing I can think of is tipping the plant up and submerging in water for a few hours

[Marb67]

Aaaaaand again after a thorough dose of soap, neem oil and lavender/peppermint oil scrubbed in hard with those bath scruncer gloves they are back within just a few days. I can't believe it. There is sticky residue all over the leaves. That's impossible!!!

[Andraste]

You could try wiping with cotton wool dipped in surgical spirit - or those little alcohol wipes you get in a first aid kit might do the trick. They're persistent little blighters & it's hard to spot them all so redo twice a week until you're sure they're gone.

If there are an extreme amount you might consider snipping off the worst leaves. I'd be tempted to take a few cuttings of non-infected stems & ditch the parent once you've secured a replacement.

[Marb67]

Yes, I think harsh measures are needed. I have cut off all foliage, binned it and will scrub the stem. I read online someone did this and foliage grew back.

This has been ongoing for years hence my extreme exasperation