I got scale on my Meyer lemon years ago. I was able to save the tree and have not done anything special to the soil since. I would think composting would be plenty safe.

Ok, will do that then. Thank you for the fast response. How did you get rid of the scale?

I have a Meyer lemon which is about 15 years old now. Periodically it gets scale and I deal with it three ways.

1. Keep it outdoors as long as you can and only bring it in for the minimum possible period over the winter. Scale seems much worse indoors where it doesn't have to contend with the weather.
2. Keep a close watch on the plants and act as soon as you see scale.
3. When you do spot it wipe over the stems and foliage with baby wipes to remove the insects. This trick was recommended to me at a flower show by one of the exhibitors who runs a citrus nursery.

Do I need to rid the soil of scale or can I just dump it outside in the compost bin?

Most scale insects spend their life cycle on plants, not in the soil.

Scale is hard to eradicate and it is important to know their life cycle for control. I suggest you use The Google to understand life cycle and control, and look up your County Extension office for their publications on control for your area, as temperature and species vary and temperature/seasonality is important for control.

Good luck.

Dan