Hi Sorrento,

The scale marks on my grapefruit left these little brown crusty dots about a millimeter or two across. If you want them off the fruit after you pick, you can use the rough side of those two sided sponges. It comes right off. I had a grapefruit tree that came with our house that was infested. After two years of professional spraying those buggers are gone. $150 for our entire Lot.

Scale attaches to the tree and not the leaves (unfortunately for you...) The leaves will all grow back, don't worry!

This has to be the worst year for leafminers that I have ever seen. They love new leafs. So be prepared...

Citrusboy

I don't recall ever seeing the scale on the tree itself.

Yes, the leaves are growing back just fine after defoliating it. Granted, no fruit this year, but perhaps next year.

While the tree is still in the process of growing new leaves again, any sprays you would recommend to help prevent this from happening?

Thanks

For Scale and Aphids anything from your local garden center with neem oil or it may say petroleum oil in it. Suffocates them. Be aware that if your plant is blooming, it will kill the bees as well. So I don't spray when there are flowers...

Another option is using 1 teas of Fish Emulsion to a 16oz mister filled w/water..then spray. It works like Neem and will also fertilize organically at the same time.
The FE works best as a preventative. I used it last autumn on my citrus and not a bug was found on the trees all winter..once a month or every other month works best..
I learned this trick from a woman who owns a nursery in Fl..she and her family have been using FE since the 60's..I buy my citrus from her and never received a tree w/bugs..
BTW, before applying, (if it were my tree) I'd spray throroughly using a hose..Allow foliage to dry then spray the FE and water. Because it's organic there's no chance of leaf burn. Toni

I think I will be trying the FE as my Neem solution is getting expensive at $8.99 for a 32oz premixed bottle.... Thanks Toni!

Marc, give it a try and see how it works..it did fine for me last fall and winter. Good luck, and let me know how it works..Toni

Wait a minute, scale doesn't attach to the leaves? if thats the case, I have mutant scale. its occasionally on the trunk, but its DEFINATLY on the leaves. I will be spraying with hort oil on wed/thurs... just confused by the statement it doesn't attach to the leaves.

I did try the FE, but most I speak to laugh at that. but, I did it anyways. cant hurt!

There are many types of scale and they get on the leaves, branches, and fruit. Dormant oil takes care of them better than anything else.

Here is a link that might be useful: mrtexas

Get Bayer's shrub and tree insecticide, a systemic, and use according to directions. Your 'sucking' bugs will be gone in a week and won't return for a full 12 months!

I suppose you won't eat the fruit for a year either after the shrub and tree systemic?

being this time of year and most garden centers closing, the one greenhouse has a basic hort oil. says safe for fruit and edible plants. I want to spray any and everything green in my plant room. I refuse to suffer a major outbreak. or even worse, death of my trees