Debbie,

I feel your pain, girl! You have to be so darn diligent with Hoyas. You should probably consider using Bayer Tree & Shrub. 1 tablespoon to a half gallon of water. Water it in, and it will kill the buggers when it sucks up the poison. Keep plants treated out of the reach of pets and children.

Scale are hideous - even more so than mealies, I think, because they hide under their "armor" domes. The key to keeping any of the bugs in check is to inspect them with every watering. EVERY watering! I know - it's quite a chore, but it's worth the effort. Keep the faith, kiddo!

Denise in Omaha

Hey Girls I've dealt with mealies but fortunately not scale. What exactly do they look like? I'd like to be on guard but I cant evan picture a scale. Thanks

That's part of the hideousness of them, Teisa. They usually live along the stem and in the crevices, under the leaves sometimes, but they simply look like a little brown bump. They really blend in until they get big and really stick up. The outer "shell" protects the bug, so simply spraying with alcohol doesn't do much good on the mature ones, though it probably kills the young ones that are still moving about. I'll put a photo link below to what a bad infestation looks like, but they can get pretty bad before you'll notice unless you're constantly watching for them. I almost always find them eventually on any Hoya (cutting or plant) I get from tropical areas, so I watch those particularly close for at least a year.

Denise in Omaha

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:996596}}

This is what I have learned through the years with these plants and many others..
All plants are susceptible to these pest's, especially if brought outdoors..

If one grows them thinking their plants are immune to them, especially scale, you will most likely have issues..

Now, I treat them as if they are prime targets for these critters and do consistent preventative measures all year, not waiting until I see a problem, which most likely you won't until it's too late..By then, it is usually winter, and much more difficult to irradiate them safely, and chemically if ones choosesto do so..

While they are outdoors, I will spray them with Fish Emulsions or Seaweed, Kelp, the like which is easy since these all have natural oils that will continually coat the leaves and or prevent bugs from even liking them, while keeping them clean and shiny..

If I ever forgot for one summer and I get them, the only thing that would rid scale and mealy for "me" was a systemic which I applied outside before they ever came inside, since many hide in areas of these plants in which you can not see..

This has always worked for my plants and I hope it works for yours if you should ever decide to give it a try..

Just as I use to raise birds, the same with plants..If I just sat back and waited for a mite infestation among my birds, many would of died...If I didn't winterize my car, I would never make a winter without issues..You get my point:-)

Mike

I agree, Mike - prevention is the key. Now, can you tell us more about the Fish Emulsion or Seaweed you spray them with? Are we talking fertilizers? I guess I didn't realize they had oil in them, although when I think about it, fish (of course) have natural oils. Is it too stinky to use inside? If so, I'll have to try it next summer. I don't typically put my Hoyas outside because of aphids, but I could take them out, spray them and let them sit out a day or two until the smell subsides... Thanks for the info!

Denise in Omaha

Hi Denise:-)

I use the one readily available here in my area..It is called "Neptune's Harvest"...It is a combo of Seaweed and Fish..

It never did anything for my plants for nutrition wise in containers, but I tell you, this stuff creates HUGE any kind of plants, fruits, or vegi's in the soil in my yard!
The rasberries were twice their size this year.
I also had no destructive pest problems on my in-ground and containerized plants again this year.

Farmers actually use this stuff to feed their pumpkins before the October fest to grow the largest pumpkins in the world..They say it also helps control pest's on their patches, there-in lies the reason why my plants are clean when they come in..I wish the fertilizer part worked like this for containers plants, though..lol

I guess I will take any benefit from this stuff, even if it means just keeping the pest's at bay and the leaves shiny. I just bought another gallon of it yesterday..

Mike:-)

Thanks for all the great comments and suggestions! I have the Bayer Tree and Shrub and will start there---fingers crossed...So much for trying to be eco friendly! LOL! I'm thinking of keeping the plants indoors permanently if I can successfully get them to a point of being bug free. They grow fabulously outdoors...putting out a lot of new growth and overall just appear healthier, but it's not worth the stress of the onslaught that usually happens.....Luckily I'm very vigilant.....checking them obsessively......it's just that I would love to get to a point when I can enjoy the plant and not be focused on the damm bugs !!!! I guess it's time to create a truly "indoor hoya jungle".......

I am also so stressed about the thought of insect infestations on my indoor plants, I have not yet put any outdoors in summer. I've dealt with mealies, spider mites, and other critters like fungus gnats & whiteflies (on other tropicals, not hoyas) ... but I have not yet found scale. I'm not looking forward to that! Good luck to you Debbie! I hope they come under control for you.

Debbie..You are wat too funny..lol

I hear what you mean about enjoying them without being focussed on damm bugs!lol
The only plants I now own that can hide these critters very well are Hoya's..But I am not willing to part with these at all...
The FE spraying has taken a whole lot of the worrrying away thus far..

I don't encourage anyone to use systemics, but I will tell you that years ago when I had an outbreak on my Hoya before I even knew what scale and mealy were, that Bayer stuff cured the problem..Mind you, I did use it outside at the time when my plants were actively growing. It must of taken that stuff through the roots very quickly because the bad scale problem was gone within two weeks, and the mealy shortly after that from what I can remember.

Keep up the good job being vigilant..There is definately a difference between being that as compared to checking them obsessively...Many loose their plants to pest's without even a clue...Good job

Don't be disappointed if you still get pest's even if you do not bring them outdoors anymore..This is the nature of the beats when one grows lot's of plants..Bugs have a way with finding themselves on our plants many other ways..
They hijack in from other plants recently purchased, through open windows, closed one too, and on our bodies or clothes..

Lightning: I hope they stay away from your plants...For some reason, some people just never seem to have any problem with these pest's at all..You could be one of those lucky ones..Please don't stress.
At least if you find any at any time, you will have all the support to rid them.
In years previous, when I use to get a problem come winter, they would disapear as soon as they go outside..
It is then that I concetrate on keeping my plants clean and pest free. I also treat them before bringing them back inside..

Mike..:-)

Well since I grow mine outside most of the year and they are inside only a couple months I use Bayer's on them twice a year, before I bring them in and then again in the late spring early summer. This seems to be what keeps them generaly pest free. Just what works for me since I do grow them outside.

Dee

I am not sure if this product works on scale but it does seem interesting, uses a parasitic fungi to kill insect pests instead of chemical controls.

Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: Mycotrol O