Scale kicking my butt!

[pageiii]

Well...I have used cotton seed oil once a week for 3 weeks. I thought I had things under control, but alas they have returned with a vengeance. I'm hesitant to use more cotton seed oil or neem oil because my leaves are alrealy kind of sticky. What if a set off on insectiside aerosol can?

[prisana]

pageiii.. I had scales on my orchids last year from hanging them on the palm trees , but I found out early, due to the habit of not being able to not take a peek at them at least 2 times a day. I came home from a long weekend and closely inspected my orchids, which I don't often do and there they were. I just removed them from the tree and flicked them off one by one with the Alcohol-saturated Q-tips and simply swithed them to the backyard. They are now fine and scale-free. I later took a look at the coconut tree I hung them on, and on the coconuts, I saw tons of scales. I've learned my lesson.

[pageiii]

Yea...I hadn't thought about trying the alcohol Q-tips. It's a good idea since I think I'm getting to heavy on the oils. I'll give it a shot.

[Daniel S. Barrett]

*I've found that Gel hand sanitizer works great to kill pests! It covers & clings to the plant & any bugs! & It doesn't run everywhere or evaporate as quickly as plain alcohol does before it can do the job.
*I'va also found, it's ok to use dish detergent on orchid plants to wash off sticky & oily residues & bugs!
*And fresh slice of lemon will remove unsightly fertilizer, mineral, & insecticide residue when rubbed on the leaves & left to dry. do a second application with a fresh slice if nessary.
*Did you also know, you can add a few drops to a small squirt of dish detergent to your plant's water as a wetting agent to make your orchid's potting mix absorb water quicker & more completely!?!, & it will also kill bugs & fungus in your potting mix as a bonus!. For many years i've put dish detergent in my plant water every time I water with No bad side effects to any of my plants!

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

All of the dabbing/cuetip rubbing/toothbrush techniques rarely completely rid the collectiom of scale (or mealies). There is a chemical that will get rid of the pests 100%. It is imidaclprid, and has been gaining a reputation of being effective and gentle on orchids. It is systemic, has no bad smell, and can't be too dangerous a product as it is available almost everywhere as a ready mix spray. It can be found as:

1) Bayer Advanced (BA) Rose & Flower ... . I don't like this product as it contains a systhetic pyrithroid. I have found that pyrithroinds are hard on flowers, and are damaging to at least one type of orchid, Paphs, when mixed with neem. It works fine on other commonly available orchids.

2) BA Tree & Shrub ... . This is pure imidacloprid (no pyrethroids). I have seen recommendations on the internet of 1 t/G and 2 T/G. To get the same imidacloprid concentration as the Rose & Flower, I calculate 2 T/G.

3) BA ... Soil & Turf ... . I have only seen this one available at Lowes. This is a ready to spray on the end of a hose. This is imidaclorid and also contains a synthetic pyrithrin, but is usefull out doors on a large group of plants, or in a large greenhouse. At least one report of a highly mixed collection in a moderately large greenhouse had no damage when used to eliminate sow bugs.

Imidaclorid does NOT kill mites.

[pageiii]

Thanks Cynthia....is that 1 tsp or tbs/g

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

A lower case t is a teaspoon, and a capital T is a tablespoon. So the rates seen on the internet range by a factor of 6. I think, if you are going to use this as a pot drench, I would use this at the higher rate of 2 T/g, or if spraying the tougher plants, like Catts, Cyms, Dens, Oncidium complex, and Phals. As a spray for the thinner leaved plants like Cochleathes, Bollea, Kefersteinia, and Pescatoria, you might want to use a lower conccentration, unless someone can give a report on the higher concentration for these plants. With Pyrethrins and/or neem oil, I have had trouble with these thin leaved plants and with Paphs and fine leaves teret leaves plants, so I would start with caution for these plants.

[articuno75]

I'm bumping this thread for those who are battling scale infestations.

[brookn]

Daniel, I use dish soap on the plants all the time, it works great. It's funny that you mentioned the hand gel, I use it for all kinds of purposes. Thanks for the lemon information, I had found a recipe calling for lemon to be squeezed into water, and that did not do the trick on the spots.

Cynthia great info., I am not sure what we would do without you. Oh I know, we would have bugs hee hee.