Oh Crenda I feel for you. I'm forever fighting mealybugs:(. I must say I've been lucky enough to not have to battle scale. I have had that feeling of just wanting to poison everything. I've done the systemic thing twice and it worked great. I did use Bayer tree and shrub and had no major problems. One tip I can give you is use half the amount they tell you because you can always go back. I found when I used the amount in the directions some of my plants had a little chemical burn:(. Goodluck:)

Ps- don't feel bad these things can go undetected for a long time. Usually you don't notice until the plant starts showing illness:(

Thanks, Kara! Like you, I am usually fighting mealies. I did have some scale last year on Kalanchoe luciae planted in front of the house, but never in my potted plants out back. I'm just dismayed at how much is present - although maybe this is the norm when scale does invade.

At least I have a good area for quarantine available while I work on getting rid of it.

If they are soft scales, then Bayer Tree and Shrub is good. I checked my bottle label and did a little fact-checking.

If they are hard scales, then Bayer Tree and Shrub is not good. Hard scales feed differently by destroying plant cells, which means they don't always feed on the vascular plant fluids which would contain the systemic.

Hope you can get them under control quicky!

How can you tell the difference between the two types?

Soft scale crawlers are quite active and move around. They produce honeydew (clear and sticky liquid which can lead to sooty mould).

Hard scale crawlers are less active and don't move too much. They have a hard protective covering and do not produce honeydew.

Oh, man! That really sucks, Crenda. Hope you can get it under control fast.

Break out the Windex again, Crenda. Stay calm and spray with ruthless passion. There's no need for systemics to treat scale.

When we lived on the east coast of Florida they had an invasion of armored scale that attacked sago palms. I think armored and hard scale are the same, yes? We had a giant sago - the trunk was as big as a car hood. Beautiful plant, and totally infested. These giant sago palms were nearly wiped out in Broward and Dade at that time.

So after spending a bunch of $$ on expensive Lesco Chemicals for a drench that the county extension recommended, they finally decided that spraying with soapy water worked better. So in light of my past experience, I'd better figure out if this is hard or soft scale. Maybe spraying with an alcohol-water-soap mix will work best in the end.

Thanks for the reminder, ewwmayo!

Oh - and thanks Cactusmcharris for the reminder about using Windex. I had forgotten that treatment since I haven't tackled scale on this scale (sad pun) before.

Ugh, Crenda. I'm bummed for you, and can't wait to see what nightmares attacked my garden while I've been gone. :( Head to Costco for some Windex!

Ohh -____- nOOooo

=(

That is indeed an impressive amount of scale. I'm so sorry this is happening!!

The windex was AWESOME on the aeonium I got, that was loaded with scale.

I still have it separated and treat every week, just to be sure. Mine were hard, and didn't move at all.

I don't even know if they were alive, but really, don't care to know!!!

Just the presence of the little buggers made my heart sink.

I bought several systemic treatments but they say they are only effective on crawlers (young scale).

I will still treat with a systemic starting in a week or 2 and continuing up until I bring them in late October or so.

I ordered horticultural oil, haven't tried it yet though.

I also bought some stuff through Amazon called emerald ash borer killer granules, don't know how effective it is, but I dressed the affected plant with it.

Good luck, I hope, as I'm sure you do, that you are able to get control quickly.

Wow, hookilau, that is lot of stuff...why do you use so many different things? Maybe I should ask what bugs-diseases are you battling?

LOL!!!

Well, I didn't actually USE anything but the Windex, and after brushing off with a small soft toothbrush, I repotted in pure pumice with the granules mentioned above.

The granules are only effective on young critters, crawlers.

Hence, Windex for adults & hopefully the granules will cover anything that hatches....shudder.

Also, I kind of panicked and ordered the oil, figuring I might need it in the future.

Somehow, my collection has grown to include better than 3 dozen pots and I wish I could say there aren't more species that catch my eye.

I was afraid to use the horticultural oil and shelved it until it's time to bring them in for the winter.

I see the occasional mealy, which is very unsettling & I don't relish hitchhikers come over-wintering time.

I'm dealing with scale for the first time ever, from a plant I got on Ebay.

I see mealies about once a year for the last 3-ish years, I guess. I would like to eradicate them completely, but they seem to pop up in a flush during winter.

This would be the first year I am treating prophylactically, I'm expecting that to make the difference!!

I have close to 200 pots of succulents. I don't remember having a mealy, but thinking back, I know there was some (I didn't know what mealy is at that time). I used rubbing alcohol which seems to me a pretty good product to use for other problems too, namely scale. Personally, I don't consider scale to be as bad to treat for one reason: easier to see and relatively easy to get rid of. I get scale on ficus Benjamina sometimes, also on bay leaf tree, and so far only very little on Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (they seem to like it's leaves!) and on one Portulacaria afra cutting. Luckily, I usually catch it when there are just few 'bugs' and alcohol s all I needed. I have used horticultural oil on it too once, but didn't work any better so I don't see a reason to pay for a mix that doesn't give me better results. Never found scale on other succulents - hope it stays that way!

I find a palm being worse than most other plants, it had some mites few times. I used horticultural oil and also alcohol spray on that. So I don't care for growing palms anymore...seedlings I get, I usually give away (and I mention 'problems' I had with older plant :) It could be they don't like my house, lol.

I had some kind of a fungus on one of the aloes. For that, I made a solution of cinnamon powder with rubbing alcohol and little water. It worked well, aloe seems to be free of it (it's been almost a year). I have used the same on one of the phaleonopsis - it worked too. And it smells good :)

I keep all plants outdoors and have to bring them in for the winter. I read that some ppl treat them before coming inside, but I never tried that - so far, no problems. Hope my 'luck' continues...I am trying not to use chemical treatments right away in case bugs may become tolerant - saving them for something serious should that happen.

Btw, I never used Windex - may try that if needed.

I worry a wee bit about resistance but do the best i can to remember there are worse things in life to deal with than a bug infestation.

Trying to remember to balance things, life is ever changing.

I think that's why i enjoy succulents so. Very responsive & extremely predictable at this point =)

Gimme a sec though, I'm sure that'll change!!

☺

I worry about resistances also. Although I'm stocked up on five different pesticides (plus alcohol), I use them very infrequently.

They are all extremely effective types so when I do use them, the problems are addressed immediately.

This is my own approach and it helps save me money in the long run. My pesticides last longer, I buy less of them, and more plants are saved. At that's what I think so far!

Always a learning experience.

Well, since this is my first rodeo with scale I thought I'd post what I have found. I unpotted before treating with Windex. The potting mix was still in pretty good shape, although it was made with Napa instead of Turface. It must have been a good batch of Napa because it still had integrity.

The Huernia schneideriana cleaned up quite well. That rotted arm evident in the original picture was easily removed. I took the arm it was attached to as well. Roots look really good!

And then there is the H. zebrina. After unpotting I could see the bottom of the plant and just how bad the mess is. Roots look good, but . . .

I cleaned one bunch, but I don't think that any of this will make it. Maybe some on the right, but there is a lot of soft tissue.

This group looks much better, but still struggling.

So I guess most of the H. zebrina is going in the trash. I am also pitching the potting mix and making up a new batch of gritty.

Am I on the right track here? Thanks for the help!

I think so.

It pained me to toss my precious gritty mix (couple of gallon's worth) that my sedums were in, where the roots were affected with some sort of gall.

Real bummer. My place is littered with the stuff, no walking barefoot out there, lol!

I tip over pots all the time, makes me curse a blue streak =S

h. zebrina took the hardest hit for sure, but it looks like there may be a salvageable piece or two.

Looking forward to updates =)

Crenda

How do you use the Windex?

This is my first time using Windex. I 'think' I did as Jeff suggested. I sprayed the plants - avoiding the roots - waited 10 minutes and then sprayed with water in my sink - not as strong a stream as I would have liked.. A lot of the scale remained on the plant, but I brushed with an old toothbrush and all came off quite easily. It also came off by rubbing with my finger, but the brush was easier for me. I use an extra-soft bristle brush, so it did no damage to the plant.

(Aside - I don't like the extra-soft tooth brush, but my gums do. So I tolerate it!)

I rinsed the plants, and roots just in case. I have them sitting in shade and will take another look tomorrow for missed scale or rot. Then I'll pot them up and hope for the best.

Thank you Crenda.