Is it too late?

11 years ago

Is it too late to save my ficus from scale?

I put a pesticide in the soil last week. It didn't help. Today I tried wiping the leaves and branches with alcohol. It was disgusting and little bugs crawled all over me. Should I just through my tree away or keep trying to save it?

All the leaves have the black bumps and some have the scale bugs on the branches.

Featured Answer

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

11 years ago

If I had a F benjamina with a scale infestation, I'd move it outdoors long enough to give it a spray treatment of Bayer Advanced 3-in-1 Insect, Disease, and Mite Control; then, after the treatment had dried, I'd return it to its indoor spot. I would follow the same procedure 2 additional times at 2 week intervals (3 treatments in all) to be sure the systemic insecticide has eliminated the problem completely.

There is an alternate treatment method using the same systemic insecticide in the Bayer 3-in-1 (imidicloprid) as a soil drench only, directions for which I was going to send in a Houzz message, but your user page settings aren't configured to allow messaging. If you're interested, send me a message with your email addy and I'll forward. Don't forget to mention the reason for your message - I get so many messages it's difficult to keep track of who I'm talking to from where about what.

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Comments (7)

Rhamel (aka teengardener1888)
11 years ago
I say get rid of it, scale are almost impossible to beat on ficus.
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
11 years ago
The degree of difficulty associated with ridding any of the plants in the Ficus genus of scale or mealybug depends much more on the product being used and HOW it's used than the genus being discussed ...... and I surely wouldn't hang an "all hope lost" sign on any plant with a scale infestation based on plant genera.

Al
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Amynoacids (z6 MI)
11 years ago
Al, how would you treat? I'm struggling with the same issues.
User
11 years ago
It goes without saying that you want to keep it away from other plants. It is liable to make your carpet very sticky from excretions.
asleep_in_the_garden
11 years ago
Assuming the temps aren't TOO low at night,I'd get it outside in a good shady spot and leave it to mother nature to clean up the infection. Lots of hungry predators out there who would just love to descend on those suckers.

Speaking as one who doesn't do 'cides,..it's always been the one thing that worked for me.
laticauda
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Yeah, I left a mealy infested monstera outside and only had to spray it when I first went out there. Mother nature is amazing if we'd let her do her thing.

That is NOT to say that I won't be isolating and treating it before I bring it back inside for the winter! But I also don't use systemics. Either neem and alcohol or alcohol and pyrmethrim dog dip (diluted to the amount needed to treat a dog with a serious infestation) and I do that inside because the vapor could unwittingly kill something it shouldnt....other than me, it's clearly okay if I breathe it in lol, well....anything for our cellulose-masters, right?