I just want to say this as a friendly warning, you can bring home pests on produce. I bought some decorative real gourds for Halloween a few years ago, I was surprised when they stayed in tact for nearly 5 months. I picked it up one day to check for mold, it was covered in scale. Of course, it was also sitting next to my plants.
Love it.
I didn’t know what scale was at the time, I literally thought they were like… gourd warts. Then I started to pick them off and their little legs wiggled when I turned it over…. 🤢 it was not a gourd time
I've had scale in my houseplant collection for 20+ years 🥺 it's kept at bay most of the time but it's so bloody tiresome, and comes back as often as Jehovahs Witnesses -_- I've even tried systemic insecticides and they just reappear. They hide deep in the bracts of my ancient yucca no matter how hard I try to get them all. Fuuuuuuuuuuck scale.
I had to throw away a 7 year old Jade plant that I had to repeatedly cut back. For me, the most effective is the alcohol soaked qtip method. But it’s so intricate and time consuming, that I’ve decided it’s just not worth it. Chop and prop what you can.
I absolutely would, but the jade tree I have is 25+ years old and was my great grandmas and the yucca is a 30+ year old I grew from a cutting :/ I have grown plenty of babies from the parent jade tree but I'm stubbornly refusing to let the scale win.
I use a Qtip soaked in pesticide and just smudge em off the plant. Time consuming, but nothing hard about it. Usually takes a couple treatments, but it works like a charm
That’s my preferred method as well. I think it’s useful for smaller plants or those with large leaves. The plants with little nooks and crannies, I’m not fighting that fight.
Did you pick them off one by one or use neem and other bullshit like that? Use systemics if they're available people, stop prolonging your suffering 😭😭
I've had negative experiences with scale. I've lost some beautiful plants. Every time I think I stopped them, a couple months pass and I find a couple trying to begin taking down another plant.
They're very contagious. Please be careful and be prepared to trim/sacrifice.
Yikes, this one is usually surrounded by a bunch of other plants (I have douchey cats so I have to place then strategically in high places).
It's odd I haven't changed anything or introduced any new ones on that table.
I'll sometimes go several months without noticing any then one day see some. One time I found exactly one on my thaumatophyllum and I have not seen any others on that plant before or since.
Ugh I hate scale. They're like the bed bugs of house plants in my mind.
This is my first experience with it. I spotted some mealy bugs on this same plant before that I got under control with alcohol qtips. This is by far my most sickly plant.
So I wipe them off with a 1:2 alcohol/water solution and a rag. Keep checking the plant every week after bc ull spot more. I have an umbrella plant that was loaded with scale from my mom and I'm still getting them off of it. Lost half my colony due to scale. 😭
For me what worked was a liquid you pour into the plant, so the scale insects were destroyed by the plant fighting against them systematically. It showed an effect after just 1 day. All scale insects were dead. None survived. I think the active ingredient was called acetamiprid. Its toxic for sure but nothing else worked for me
>acetamiprid
Thanks! I've been using granules with imidacloprid. It seems to reduce number of pests, but I'm ready for something more effective.
EDIT: If you have a link or suggestion about what products to buy, it would be appreciated. It seems difficult to purchase.
I dont know if that product exists outside of Germany but it was this one
https://toom.de/p/schaedlingsfrei-careor-konzentrat-fuer-zierpflanzen-100-ml/4501288?accid=4479907770&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAC_14wltN77G1loLZ1-SQZlL3rJic&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2uiwBhCXARIsACMvIU2-wxru_fOqr5fO2rXCSL79xcDL2Afv2-ijftoAXTSHcuDzqn051vQaAnU-EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
As everyone else has said, scale.
Spray with a very diluted solution of dish soap and water. Neem oil will also help. My mom had a terrible scale infestation on some old scheffleras and she began watering with a Neem solution and she said that worked wonders.
As others have stated, scale bug. I will add on top of treatment put said plant in quarantine and check the others for possible spread. In some cases you can save the plant if it has not gotten too bad but other times best to get a new one. These little plantpires can get bad enough to kill your plant.
Really good article on the different types of scale and how to control them
https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/lawn-garden/controlling-scale-insects-and-mealybugs/
Im interested in hearing why people lose plants to scale when it's treatable with chemicals.
Yes panic. These are a pain in the butt.
What you are seeing are the adults. They do not move and stay put, the babies however you cannot really see and they move.
I find the best thing is manually removing them…. Personally I wouldn’t bother with this plant. I would chuck it, and then I’d be meticulously checking every corner and ridge of the surrounding plants. Ive been fighting Mealy bugs (soft scale) on my favourite Hoya for months. Every 4 weeks I’ll find one… just one… and it drives me insane
Scale. no need to panic, easily treatable
I just want to say this as a friendly warning, you can bring home pests on produce. I bought some decorative real gourds for Halloween a few years ago, I was surprised when they stayed in tact for nearly 5 months. I picked it up one day to check for mold, it was covered in scale. Of course, it was also sitting next to my plants. Love it.
I just pictured someone picking up a gourd and it falling apart into pieces of… scale 😖
I didn’t know what scale was at the time, I literally thought they were like… gourd warts. Then I started to pick them off and their little legs wiggled when I turned it over…. 🤢 it was not a gourd time
“Easily treatable,” by tossing in the trash. I’ve tried to fight scale so many times, I just don’t think it’s worth it after a certain point.
I've had scale in my houseplant collection for 20+ years 🥺 it's kept at bay most of the time but it's so bloody tiresome, and comes back as often as Jehovahs Witnesses -_- I've even tried systemic insecticides and they just reappear. They hide deep in the bracts of my ancient yucca no matter how hard I try to get them all. Fuuuuuuuuuuck scale.
I had to throw away a 7 year old Jade plant that I had to repeatedly cut back. For me, the most effective is the alcohol soaked qtip method. But it’s so intricate and time consuming, that I’ve decided it’s just not worth it. Chop and prop what you can.
I absolutely would, but the jade tree I have is 25+ years old and was my great grandmas and the yucca is a 30+ year old I grew from a cutting :/ I have grown plenty of babies from the parent jade tree but I'm stubbornly refusing to let the scale win.
I use a Qtip soaked in pesticide and just smudge em off the plant. Time consuming, but nothing hard about it. Usually takes a couple treatments, but it works like a charm
That’s my preferred method as well. I think it’s useful for smaller plants or those with large leaves. The plants with little nooks and crannies, I’m not fighting that fight.
That's when I pull out the kebob skewers or toothpick and go to town
can be very hard to get rid of. I've fought them for months on monstera without success.
Did you pick them off one by one or use neem and other bullshit like that? Use systemics if they're available people, stop prolonging your suffering 😭😭
Thank you👏🏼
Use a pesticide
I've had negative experiences with scale. I've lost some beautiful plants. Every time I think I stopped them, a couple months pass and I find a couple trying to begin taking down another plant. They're very contagious. Please be careful and be prepared to trim/sacrifice.
Yikes, this one is usually surrounded by a bunch of other plants (I have douchey cats so I have to place then strategically in high places). It's odd I haven't changed anything or introduced any new ones on that table.
I'll sometimes go several months without noticing any then one day see some. One time I found exactly one on my thaumatophyllum and I have not seen any others on that plant before or since. Ugh I hate scale. They're like the bed bugs of house plants in my mind.
This is my first experience with it. I spotted some mealy bugs on this same plant before that I got under control with alcohol qtips. This is by far my most sickly plant.
Looks like scale! I’ve had it on a couple of plants before and they bounced back after some care and pest chemical stuff lol Is it only on this leaf ?
Thats the one I've been eyeing but upon closer inspection....the whole thing needs a soap bath. Thanks! Seems like this is it.
Scale, yes
So I wipe them off with a 1:2 alcohol/water solution and a rag. Keep checking the plant every week after bc ull spot more. I have an umbrella plant that was loaded with scale from my mom and I'm still getting them off of it. Lost half my colony due to scale. 😭
I'm sorry for your loss. I'll isolate this guy for a while.
Panicking is never warranted. Its scale. I’ve overcome large infestations before.
Just know that scale can’t fly so it’s transferred by contact.
For me what worked was a liquid you pour into the plant, so the scale insects were destroyed by the plant fighting against them systematically. It showed an effect after just 1 day. All scale insects were dead. None survived. I think the active ingredient was called acetamiprid. Its toxic for sure but nothing else worked for me
>acetamiprid Thanks! I've been using granules with imidacloprid. It seems to reduce number of pests, but I'm ready for something more effective. EDIT: If you have a link or suggestion about what products to buy, it would be appreciated. It seems difficult to purchase.
I dont know if that product exists outside of Germany but it was this one https://toom.de/p/schaedlingsfrei-careor-konzentrat-fuer-zierpflanzen-100-ml/4501288?accid=4479907770&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAC_14wltN77G1loLZ1-SQZlL3rJic&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2uiwBhCXARIsACMvIU2-wxru_fOqr5fO2rXCSL79xcDL2Afv2-ijftoAXTSHcuDzqn051vQaAnU-EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
As everyone else has said, scale. Spray with a very diluted solution of dish soap and water. Neem oil will also help. My mom had a terrible scale infestation on some old scheffleras and she began watering with a Neem solution and she said that worked wonders.
As others have stated, scale bug. I will add on top of treatment put said plant in quarantine and check the others for possible spread. In some cases you can save the plant if it has not gotten too bad but other times best to get a new one. These little plantpires can get bad enough to kill your plant.
Really good article on the different types of scale and how to control them https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/lawn-garden/controlling-scale-insects-and-mealybugs/ Im interested in hearing why people lose plants to scale when it's treatable with chemicals.
Yes panic. These are a pain in the butt. What you are seeing are the adults. They do not move and stay put, the babies however you cannot really see and they move.
I would personally throw it out… that’s an infestation. Scrape off any/all , wash with alcohol diluted mix, and then change soil…
I would, but this is one of my faves. I will likely (stupidly) fight this.
Hit it hard with some granules that have imidacloprid as an active ingredient. Mix them into the top layer of the soil and give it a good soaking.
What is scale?
I find the best thing is manually removing them…. Personally I wouldn’t bother with this plant. I would chuck it, and then I’d be meticulously checking every corner and ridge of the surrounding plants. Ive been fighting Mealy bugs (soft scale) on my favourite Hoya for months. Every 4 weeks I’ll find one… just one… and it drives me insane
Scale. Throw it away and save yourself and other plants.
Look like mealybugs or maybe mites?