Yes, they have hiding places. Crack and crevices you don't know about, under bud scales and more.

There has to be a way of getting rid of the ants? No? What about dusting Sevin along the top of your soil line and leaves? Works for many of my friends.

I myself spray with Cold Pressed Neptune's Harvest and never have an issues with scale, thank God on the ones that are treated this way.

Also too, if you find them past the point of just a small problem easily to get rid of, then this stuff works wonders too..

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/bonide-all-seasons-horticultural-spray-oil-p-1525.html?keyword=%2Bbonide%20%2Ball%20%2Bseasons%20%2Bspray%20%2Boil&gclid=CNaFiLyjgtUCFRiBswodMFwF5Q

Susanne, I use Sammers concoction but also add rubbing alcohol and a drop of dish soap. I also do not rinse it off and rub any scale I find off. I have treated a GN from FW with scale (annoying), but have not seen any lately. Also, I would treat, then treat again three days or so later to really wipe out anything tiny that may be attempting to grow back.

I'm really starting to get annoyed by those buggers.

what insecticide soap do I mix with the neem oil? I bought those little feeder for ants that clais they will bring this to the queen and it will kill her. Well, I think those ants are democratic and don't have a queen. They party with it instead.

LOL Susanne! I bought traps for ants last year and did not have much success with them. I use horticultural oil, neem, dish soap, maybe pro-Tekt if I remember, and the alcohol. Do not wash it off. If you really want to be safe, put the tree in the shade the next day (I spray in the evening), but I have not ever had issues with hurt leaves. I am cautiously optimistic that the scale is gone from my GN though. I just checked it thoroughly today.

Oh and for the ants...diatomaceous earth? I don't know if it works on them...maybe someone else will chime in.

I thought about DE and it is worth a try as long as it is not raining.

Laura, I've seen others mention using pro-tekt in sprays. Can I ask how that works? I have it, but have only used it as a fertiliser in my watering water.

Robin, according to the Dyna-Gro Neem bottle is used in place of another emulsifier (like soap). I prefer it so I don't have to worry about using a non-detergent soap that won't harm the leaves.

i'm having the same issue with my variegated pink lemon. I'll try the seven dust. I have that at home. I had the DE but I can't recall if it worked. I have been spraying neem but I was unaware I had to manually clean off the scale after spraying. The ants LOVE my poor pink lemon. Actually all of my citrus except the orange but the scale is only prevalent on the PL.

Thanks Sammers, I had read on the pro-tekt bottle that it could be used as a foliar spray, but have a different brand of neem so didn't know about putting it in your pesticide mix. What dose rate do you use?