I'm pretty sure oil based insecticides are lethal to bromeliads.

For prevention of scale you can use a product like Merit granules(systemic). If you have an infestation of black scale(also called fly speck scale) you will a product like Malathon but broms will need to be rinsed and cups thoughly rinsed after the spray dries. Also no sun on the plants. Treating black scale is realy hard if broms are in the landscape. In pots you can dip them and follow the same procedure.
The brown scale is easier to treat and get rid of(maybe a produst liek liquid Seven). Some plants may have to be removed and trashed. Scale has a habit of attacking the older weaker moms.

Hi oldroseguy

If you want to try a non-toxic spray you could try one made from Canola Oil. Read the article CANOLA WHITE OIL - "Oils aint Oils Soll!" - Rob Smythe. Rob is a Queensland grower and also a chemist, and you will find his article on the FCBS site listed under Culture - (Pests and Diseases).

I know of quite a few people who have tried it and they say it works well.

All the best, Nev.

May be a very stupid question ... Does black scale must be treated differently from 'regular' scale? Cannot an average commercially available insecticide against scale be used against black scale too?

Or is the point in case to avoide using insecticide and to use either a biologocally wiser solution or a cheap readily available solution e.g. a houshold mittel like dishwasher liquid that treats normal scale but ineffective against black scale?

Thanks, S.

Hi Sheila,

From what I understand, flyspeck scale is somewhat harder to kill than the other types of scale, and because it seemes to attach so well to the leaves, even when it has been killed, it still has to be manually removed.

Fly speck scale seems to be more of a problem in the tropics than in my area and although commercial toxic chemical sprays will kill these pests, they also harm other creatures. I believe that's why Rob Smythe (who is a Queensland grower ) developed this spray in the first place. Although I rarely get trouble from flyspeck scale I find it works well on all types of scale.

Occasionally I get fly speck scale on plants I have purchased from other growers and I find the Canola Oil Spray does the job on these just as well as it does on other types of scale; as for removing the dead scale, I use an old tooth brush with the bristles shortened by half and just brush them off. The most important thing is to spray it as soon as you first notice it and isolate the plant as it speads quickly and thrives in overcrowded conditions.

I can't speak for everyone, but my personal preference is to use insecticides that don't harm other creatures as I have lots and lots of skinks and small birds around my plants all the time and the Canola Spray formula that I mentioned above seems to be the "non toxic" answer for me.

All the best, Nev.