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Scale insects on roses

B3B3 Posts: 27,505
in Plants
I think I asked this question last year but it slipped down the pages into oblivion.
If you scrape off scale insects and they drop into the compost, will they live or die?
In London. Keen but lazy.

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Slipping again. Last try😊
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • gjautosgjautos Posts: 429
    I suspect the answer is, it depends on location. If you are talking about pots in a house or greenhouse, I think they carry on living. But when I've scraped them off plants in the garden they don't seem to come back. 
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Thanks @gjautos
    It's six of one and half a dozen of the other with me. It was in a big container, I scraped them off and planted the rose out so with any luck the rose will survive and the insects will die 
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • gjautosgjautos Posts: 429
    Might be best to change the compost before reusing the pot. I always wash mine with soapy water too. But that's because I have a touch of ocd🙄
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Missed this one too.  Adults are immobile, so they will die once scraped off.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Good news @BobTheGardener.
    I'd love to say I'll wash my great big terracotta container but I'm powerful lazy @gjautos. I'll hope for a nice hard frost.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • gjautosgjautos Posts: 429
    🤣
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