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Garden Guy

These products help deal with scale insects

organic super spraying oil
spectrum
super spectrum

Scale

scale insects

Scale are tiny sap sucking insects with hard protective coverings that can be found attached to plant leaves and stems.

How to About Did you know Related articles Gallery

HOW TO CONTROL SCALE INSECTS

To get rid of scale insects:

Scale insects can be difficult to get rid of but ORGANIC SUPER SPRAYING OIL is most effective, killing scale through suffocation. However, do not spray in the middle of the day or in strong sunlight or high temperature as this can cause burning of the plant. It is best to apply to the crawling and young stages of scale insect.

Once control has been achieved SPECTRUM or SUPER SPECTRUM are a good option for prevention and control of scale and the mould that often accompanies them. They can also be applied before (at least one day) application of ORGANIC SUPER SPRAYING OIL.

About

Scale are sap sucking insects that have hard protective coverings. The shield like protective cover can make it difficult to identify them as insects. Scales are commonly brown, black, grey or white.

Scale insects fix themselves to leaves and stems and suck sap. There waste products are a sweet honeydew that ants and wasps will feed on readily. The sticky honeydew will also encourage moulds such as sooty mould. It may be difficult to see the scale if they are covered by the mould. Infested leaves usually turn yellow. Some scale live beneath bark and are not easily seen.

Did you know

There are many species of scale insect in the family Coccoidea. In New Zealand common pest species include:

  • San Jose Scale - Quadraspidiotus pemiciosus
  • Rose scale - Aulacaspis rosae
  • Oystershell scale - Quadraspidiotus ostreaeformis
  • Soft brown scale - Coccus hesperidum
  • Apple mussel scale - Lepidosaphes ulmi
  • Greedy scale - Hemiberlesia rapax

Related articles

Gallery

Scale insects suck sap from plants underneath a protective shield-like cover. Honeydew at tip of hair like anal tubes of scale insects on tree trunk. The honeydew encourages sooty mould and provides high energy fuel for wasps.