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Hydrangea pest

twfbfoleytwfbfoley Posts: 7
in Problem solving
Hello - I’ve just noticed my hydrangea bushes seem to be covered in these little white grubs/bugs(?!). Does anyone have any idea what they might be and what I can do about them? The bushes aren’t flowering and usually they do so abundantly. Many thanks 


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Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    That’s scale insect, paint them with methylated spirit, you can probably buy something by a fancy name but MS will do the trick.  You have to do it a few times to catch the new ones. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • twfbfoleytwfbfoley Posts: 7
    Thank you!
  • luis_prluis_pr Posts: 123
    edited June 2021
    I agree. Either scale or mealy bugs (a cousin of scale). I do not think they would affect much the flowering though; Mother Nature may be behind some of the late flowerings or flowering issues. In future years, apply "counter measures" about a month before you first noticed them this year.

  • twfbfoleytwfbfoley Posts: 7
    Thank you, yes everything seems a bit slower this year! 
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    .any alcohol and a soft toothbrush will work too.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    @B3 I think I’d rather use the meths than the alcohol 😀
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    luis_pr said:
    . In future years, apply "counter measures" about a month before you first noticed them this year.

    Can you explain this please? 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • luis_prluis_pr Posts: 123
    Aphids and other pests tend to return sometimes so, if you noticed them attacking the plant in May 2021, start monitoring the plant and applying any insecticides in April 2022.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    What!? Use insecticides just in case some baddies appear?  What about all the other beneficial invertebrates?  


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    That’s what I thought he meant Dove,   Just needed to clarify! 
    I hope the OP doesn’t spray his hydrangea with anything in April.

    @luis_pr  in our country we are trying to get people off of using insecticides and pesticides for the sake of the environment  not encourage them to use unnecessary products. 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

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