ADULT TEA SCALE
It's almost a gimmee that your camellias will get scale, but you can keep it from progressing to major proportions with proper control measures. Scale infestations are more difficult to control when populations are heavy. You should take action and make spray applications when the first sign of scale is seen. Horticultural Oil, particularly, Neem Oil
, sprays and Insecticidal Soap
will help control the scale if applied properly. Both of these can be found on Amazon by following the links. Always follow label directions. This IS the LAW! Both of these products are considered a contact insecticide. For them to be effective, the plants must be thoroughly covered. This way they smother the insect. Hort oils should only be applied during the Spring and Fall when the temperature is above 40, but less than 85 degrees. Spraying in the heat of the day may result in leaf burn.When it comes to Citrus, we can REALLY Tip the scales here: Snow Scale (Unaspis citri), Florida Red Scale (Chrysomphalus aonidium), Purple Scale (Lepidosaphes beckii), Glover's Scale (Lepidosaphes gloveri), and Chaff Scale (Parlatoria pergandii). Some of the soft scale insects include Caribbean Black Scale (Saisseta neglecta), Brown Soft Scale (Coccus hesperidium), Cottony Cushion Scale, (Icerya purchasi) and Florida Wax Scale (Ceroplastes floridensis).
Luckily the only scale from this list that I have had to deal with is the Brown Soft Scale and the Cottony Cushion Scale.
I found this interesting information about the Cottony Cushion Scale from the University of Florida Website:
The adult female cottony cushion scale is capable of self-fertilization and lays about 500 to 800 eggs. Eggs are laid within an egg sac and are red and oblong. The eggs can hatch within a few days during the summer months but can take up to two months during the winter. The cottony cushion scale population increases most rapidly during the drier months and requires about four months for a generation. Fortunately, there is a heavy natural mortality among the eggs and the first instar nymphs.
Want to see what one looks like?
These things are usually big enough I can just smash them. They are kind of ugly, don't you think?
BROWN SOFT SCALE
The Brown Soft Scale is what almost took out my lemon tree. Brown Soft Scales are protected from insecticides or sprays by waxy coverings, so spray control measures should be aimed at unprotected crawlers. Spot treatments should be applied when scales are present. Applications of insecticidal soap or horticultural oil will kill scales, but at least three treatments are needed to control an infestation. Repeat every six to seven days until scales have been eradicated. Dead scales do not fall from plants, so you'll have to examine plants to determine whether the scales are dead or alive. Crush the scale - if it's dry, the scale is dead; if the body is juicy or leaves a streak when smeared on a piece of paper it was alive. How's that for being gross?!
The major point I want you to take from today's post is this. Take the time to inspect your plants regularly, the old adage of "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" really hits home here. Scale insects are a real pain to deal with, if they get out of control it can be almost impossible to eradicate them. Look for anything unusual, small bumps, discoloration, or anything small that is crawling. If you do all this, you too can "Tip the Scales" in your favor!
Happy Growing!
Darren
Thank you for posting this info. I was going over our nagami kumquat tree thinning out fruit and found one of the cottony cushion scales beneath a Y in some of the younger branch growth, and thought perhaps it was a chrysalis of some kind, but it didn't react at all to being poked and it felt extremely squishy. Rather randomly coming across your photo of one helped me to identify what it was and (obviously) determine it wasn't something we wanted to just leave be.
ReplyDeletethanks for your post! ive been dealing with Brown soft scale for several weeks now, but this is the first site that i've found that gave these fiends a name. I've been treating with insectisidal soap so far... i know i will overcome.
ReplyDeleteGood day! First of all I would like to tell that you actually have built a beautiful site. Also I wanted to ask you one thing that I am interested of. Do you have an idea to write professionally or your blog is solely a kind of hobby?
ReplyDeleteFriskyBrainiac,
DeleteI would love to someday write professionally. I do currently write occasionally for Carolina Gardener Magazine, like once a year, but nowhere close to full time. Why do you ask?
You can e-mail me directly at TheCitrusGuy@netzero.com
when cleaning off the scale from leaves and stems, etc, what is the best thing to use?, alcohol or vinegar??? or something else.? I am really tired of these horrible, messy bugs and want to restore the meyer lemon and tanagerine plants to good health. We live in Colorado and the only time the plants are outside is after the frost no longer is an issue.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing to use would be neem oil or some other kind of horticultural oil. Then a good spray of water from the hose.
DeleteIt is rather time consuming, but it will be worth it in the end.
I have had brown scale for years now. I live in Idaho and my citrus trees live indoors. I am having trouble getting rid of the scale for good. I have had the citrus trees out in the summer and then sprayed them with an insecticide that has gotten rid of the scale for a while. The scale has come back in the middle of winter every year when I cannot spray my trees indoors. I have tried to religiously squish the scale off the branches and spay soap suds using dish soap on my trees in the house. But still the scale will come back. Can you tell me any thing about their cycle, sprays, etc. that might help me get rid of them for good?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I am going to assume your tree has not or does not produce fruit yet? The best thing I can suggest is this product:
Deletehttp://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/bayer-advanced-fruit-citrus-and-vegetable-insect-control-p-2033.html
Bayer Advanced Fruit, Citrus and Vegetable Insect Control
The link above is so you can get it online. Google search the product, you might find it cheaper.
I doubt VERY seriously that you will find it available in Idaho, though I guess anything is possible.
It should help.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI know this is an old question but I grow citrus in northern Idaho. Every spring, when i put them outside, they get soft brown scale. I spend a few minutesa day removing them by hand as well as spraying with neem oil weekly. By the end of the 3rd week, they're all gone and they don't come back until the next spring. I use Epsoma Citrus Tone for fertilizer.
DeleteThat is probably the best way to handle it. Just keep fighting the good fight, Soliloquy!
DeleteI live in Nova Scotia ,Canada.I have a potted citrus tree that that lives outside for the summer and resides inside during the winter.This is the second year I've had the tree. Every time it is bought inside I have scale issues with it.It's covered with blossoms and scale.I have showered it in my shower,picked them off and tried peroxide.What can I use inside to get rid of the scale.?I also have a blue fronted amazon bird which also lives in the same space.So anything toxic is out of the question.Thanks
ReplyDeletePatricia,
DeleteThere is a systemic product out called Fruit, Citrus and Vegetable Control put out by Bayer. You can see the listing here: http://www.bayeradvanced.com/insects-pests/products/fruit-citrus-vegetable-insect-control
I have used it in my potted plants, though I am not sure yet if it has been approved for container plants, so THEORETICALLY, I can not endorse this product. Some people are also a little squeemish about using an insecticide that is taken up into the tree. From what I understand, it does not go into the fruit.
The best advice I can give you is, just before you bring it into the house for the winter, hose the scale off with a very strong stream of water. Check all the undersides of leaves, stems, nooks and crannies. If you blow a leaf or two off with the water, no big deal. You will get wet, so pick a fairly warm day. I have done this, especially on my Key Lime, they really like that one. Then, keep an eye on it, check it at least once a week. If you see anything that remotely looks like scale, use a Q-tip and some rubbing alcohol and dab at the offending insect. This is a little time consuming, but should be effective. Hope that helps.
Darren,
DeleteHave you tried this product? I am excited to see it it works. Bayer says to use it only once per season, so I was curious whether you had success with it. Like Patricia, I have two indoor citrus trees that are annually attacked by scale. I take great pains to clean the plant before bringing it into the house at the end of the summer season but the darned scale shows up with its sticky residue around February or March and starts destroying my plants. I am hopeful that the systemic will take care of this problem. By the way, Bayer seems to play a little game on its site by suggesting it is a good product for indoor citrus while the label suggests only using it on outdoor plants. I'm all in for using it because the sticky residue makes me nuts.
Thank you very much for your help.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this blog post! I've noticed something happening to my prize potted bearss lime and, after reading your post, I recognize it as an infestation of soft brown scale! I will meticulously scrape it off the branches/leaves and treat repeatedly with neem (really hope this works). I just had a question about its propogation, and wondered if you knew how it spreads. I've never seen anything live on the plant (aside from occasionally some tiny flies, though they seem to come from the potting mix). How does brown scale move around the plant? Thanks so much once again for your blog!!!
ReplyDeleteSimon,
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked the post and have discovered what is wrong with your bearss lime.
It is very hard to see the scale moving. You have to catch it, just right. What happens is, the mother scale has the babies under her armor. When they get a little older, they crawl out from under her (crawlers)...they then move on and find a good spot to hunker down and feed. Then the whole process starts again. The timing is rather difficult to predict. The crawlers are active at different parts of the year in different locales. What you have planned, sounds good. Scout the plant often and you might see the crawlers. Use a magnifying glass on occasion. When you see them, make a note of when they are active and you will know to spray around that time every year to get rid of them.
Thanks!
I noticed some of these on small orange plant I have on the window sill of my house (like your second picture), the branches are covered in a hanging, glistening, sugary, web like substance, I swear I could sell it as cotton candy. Anyway, do you think it will do me any harm eating the sugary web like substance. I have already eaten quite a bit of it so I would appreciate your feed back.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks,
Niall
Hello Niall,
ReplyDeleteOther than EEWWWW! I can't think of a reason why it would harm you.
I may regret asking this, what does it taste like?
It's sweet tasting and....moist. Strangely pleasant.
DeleteAnyway, the small potted orange tree is covered in the web stuff, also a lot of them things shown in your second picture. When I mush them up there is a thick bright orange fluid inside them, so i'm guessing they're still alive.
I told my mum to let me bag the sugary, webby goodness (so I can enjoy it at my leisure later) and then throw out the plant but she seems determined to keep it. Can it be saved? No one in the house knows the first thing about gardening or plants or whatever so we're all stumped.
I can take some pics if youre interested!
Thanks Darren!
You are a braver soul than I. I am not sure I would have tried it.
DeleteAnyway, is the plant suffering? I would like to see some pictures. Please send them to: TheCitrusGuy@netzero.com
I am sure the plant can be saved. I also need some more info.
Where do you live?
How old is the plant?
How often do you feed it, water, etc?
We will get this thing growing well yet.
Oh, and by the way, yes, it is still alive.
Sounds like a type of aphid - they produce cotton-candy like tufts of sugar, which is why ants farm them. A simple insecticide should get rid of them.
DeleteHi Darren, My question is this, Does scale start from the soil going up to the trunk then to the leaves? If so, can we kill them before they hatch in the soil first?
ReplyDeleteHello Phillip, Sorry, I did not get a notification that you asked a question.
DeleteMore than likely, yes. Ants usually farm the scale, so I would think they would have to come from the soil.
Scale can move in multiple paths, from both the ground and air. I have one tree that was infested by a nearby tree that I'm still finding and killing the scale on. There was no direct ground contact. The scale will establish themselves in any place that is exposed and it is easy to get to the sap, I find they prefer the stems of leaves, new growth, and joints. They will build up in places that they are not easily found or flushed. Once they form their shell, they do not move, sealing themselves against the tree. In areas where that does not expose them to excessive cold or heat, they may be set into the bark itself, provided they live that long.
DeleteThank You Anonymous, you reminded me that scale can drop from one tree to another when they are in the crawler stage.
DeleteOn my 3 foot potted dekopon plagued by the little buggers, I tried a solution of 2 ounces of Phillips Sonocare BreathRx (Amazon) made by adding 2 ounces of the mouthwash to 14 ounces of rubbing alcohol in a hand sprayer. I saturated the entire tree by spraying it from all angles. I resprayed twice at one or two week intervals as rain washed the residue off the leaves. A few emerging scale were noted, but the residue killed them as they fed. Very satisfying. 5 months later the tree is looking great, producing fruit, and is still scale free. Oddly, none others of my other types of citrus were ever affected - just the dekopon, which was from a different supplier.
ReplyDeleteDarren, you are a wealth of info. Thank you. I successfully ended a major infestation of brown scale on my meyer lemon when I discovered it this summer (or at least I thought so). I live in zone 4, so now it is indoors and just discovered a few scales - saw the sticky sap first. I have blossoms and lots of big and little lemons. What can I use indoors to kill them?
ReplyDeleteThank You for the kind words, Nancy!
DeleteIf you are worried about spraying the tree and it is only a few scale, dip a q-tip in neem oil and dab them with it. or, just squish them with your finger. Gross, but effective.
Thanks for going into so much detail on this, Darren! Your advice, especially from your replies to comments will help me a lot. Hopefully my indoor orange tree will start growing again! (It's still only a few inches tall and I haven't noticed any damage yet, but the leaves have been sticky for a while and it hasn't grown any for about a month or so.)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words, Sam! I do appreciate it!
DeleteKeep me posted as to how your orange tree progresses.
Have you tried this product? I am excited to see it it works. Bayer says to use it only once per season, so I was curious whether you had success with it. Like Patricia, I have two indoor citrus trees that are annually attacked by scale. I take great pains to clean the plant before bringing it into the house at the end of the summer season but the darned scale shows up with its sticky residue around February or March and starts destroying my plants. I am hopeful that the systemic will take care of this problem. By the way, Bayer seems to play a little game on its site by suggesting it is a good product for indoor citrus while the label suggests only using it on outdoor plants. I'm all in for using it because the sticky residue makes me nuts.
ReplyDeleteشركة مكافحة حشرات بالجبيل شركة مكافحة حشرات بجازان شركة مكافحة النمل الابيض بجدة شركة مكافحة حشرات بجدة
I always use insecticides and mitecides to treat this insect -- like chlorpyrephors or abamectin or imidaclopride -- it is very effective
ReplyDeleteHI Darren,
ReplyDeleteMy fiancé bought a lime tree a few months ago and we started noticing the sticky residue all over. We live in California so the plant is out on a balcony year long. The brown scale seem to be all over the plant bee have been spraying ne oil once a week for a few weeks with no luck. Some area seem better but other areas are covered. We have concentrated been oil so maybe we aren’t mixing it strong enough? Once sprayed do we still need to wipe/ scrap off the scale? How do we go about getting all the scale off? I’m willing to take the time and go head to toe cleaning off the scale but I’m not sure how to go about it? What materials are best to use and how do we use them?
Thank you!
Hello Jazmine,
DeleteYou can take a very strong stream of water, like a garden hose set on stream, and spray the scale off rather easy.
You or your fiance will get wet, but the scale will blast right off.
Hope that helps?!
water pick
DeleteI've found that Ants were the cause of scale on my lemon tree in the UK. They are attracted by the sweet scent of blossoms and bring the scale in by piggy-backing them. Leave them on the plant and return for further sap once the scale have had a chance to dig in. They are a bloody nuisance for sure. I tend to use 100% rubbing alcohol on a cotton wool pad to run over all the leaves removing the blighters. Upkeep with a spray mix of water, washing up liquid and some olive oil. Good luck to all citrus growers!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI waited so long that I had to scrape them off with my fingers and a cotton ball. The stream of water didn't work. Tedious and gross work. Don't let it get that bad!
ReplyDeleteDo I need to prune back the areas where leaves have dropped?
ReplyDeleteI would wait until the new flush of growth appears in the spring. Then you will know where it is dead.
DeleteI hate these stupid pests so much. I get ride of them and they come back. My neighbors probably think I’m crazy when the see me wearing my readers and carefully cleaning my mandarin trees leave and branches with a toothbrush. I get great pleasure from brushing this nasty suckers away!
ReplyDelete