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Another couple of quick scale insect questions

B3B3 Posts: 27,505
in Plants
1 Is it enough to flick off the outer shell or do you need to get deeper?
2 can they lurk on adjacent plants? A Jasmine off. grows very close and I will cut it down to sticks soon. Will the scale insects latch on to the woody bits of the jasmine?

thanks chaps
In London. Keen but lazy.

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    The shell holds the eggs that hatch in the spring, so you just need to shift that.

    Dunno about lurking, but they can pop up on quite a lot of tough or woody stemmed plants. So worth checking your Jasmine.
    Some years I get a few on older blueberry stems - they look identical to the buds - crafty buggers!

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Thanks again @Pete8. I've been idly flicking them off today but will do it properly tomorrow.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    You can't simply flick-off scale insects, they need to be removed.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I'm getting down to it tomorrow @BobTheGardener. Standing by the fig tree, glass in hand,  idly flicking scale insects is not the way to go unfortunately🙄
    Can you recommend anything in particular to wet the brush with?
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Horticultural soap, ideally.  Useful stuff. :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Meths usually works.  I used to get infestations on my Cymbidium orchids when they spent the Spring and Summer outdoors.
    I don't know whether it is necessary but I always rinsed the leaves with clean water afterwards. 
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I have meths but not horticultural soap. Not actually sure what it is. I'm off to Google
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Do you think I could get away with nicking my husband's electric toothbrush🤔
    In London. Keen but lazy.
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