Dreaded Scale insects

:flag:My indoor plants suffer regularly with scale insect infestation. The beasties are now attacking a white cyclamen on the kitchen window sill that has been flowering its heart out for several months. The leaves are covered with their flattish shells and despite regularly rubbing them off, the poor plant is now struggling. I'm aware that when the flying insect stage fledges, although there is a very short period, they cam be dealt with but I have never seen this happen. Dose anybody out there have any advice?
Yours in Bafflement, Chris

 

Hello Baffled Chris ....

I have never had scale insect on my Cyclamen which are doing wonderfully at the moment .... I am fortunate to be able to keep them outdoors all year in pots in a shady location.

However, I do have it at the moment on my Bay tree in a pot outside my back door and I get this on it every year, along with sooty mould. Weather permitting I have to go out and wash all leaves down by hand with a J-cloth (takes about an hour) with soapy water, bit of a pain but it doesn't affect the Bay.

I thought it was damp that caused such .... and we are going through our rainy season at the moment.

Perhaps someone will come along and unbaffle both of us. :gnthb:

 

Not an expert on the life cycle but a sufferer, plant wise, that is.:D

I find a spraying with Provado bug killer sorts them out, but they are pretty persistent.
Any systemic insecticide should work.

I use aerosol types at this time of the year as it avoids wetting the plant.

 

I don't like using chemicals, hence soapy water ....

I can't avoid mine getting wet this time of the year .... :lollol:

 

I had a problem with them all over one of my hebes and can recommend using soapy water, it sorted them out. Don`t know anything about the life cycle of them, just give them a squirt whenever I do the roses.

 

Thanks for your suggestions. I will try soapy water first as I'm not keen on sprays. Interestingly, I had a big problem with scale on my standard bay a few years ago. In a fit of desparation, I stripped off all the leaves. Amazingly, they grew back healthy and the tree is doing well now with now sign of a retrun. I'm surprised it worked as I assumed it would have to have leaves in order to photo-synthesize. :yho: