Scale is a nightmare..
nasty sticky buggers..
a very persistant bug!
there are 2 stages..
the adult, the scale bugs we see, which has the hard outer shell..
like a turtle shell..
they dont move, just stay stuck in one spot, protected under their shell..
and the larva, small unprotected crawlers, which we usually dont see..
sprays dont work well on the adults, because of the protective shell,
so the key to getting rid of scale is to smoosh all the visable adults..you can press on the shell and "pop" them!
kinda gross, but it works..
then after you have squished all the adults, rinse the plant under the faucet and rub off all the shells..
then SPRAY with an insecticidal soap..
(soaps are the most mild of insecticides..)
this kills the crawlers..
all of them? NEVER!
the key is to repeat the process every few days for several weeks!
gotta get all those crawlers that hatch from eggs after the first spray..
its a hassle, but they can be wiped out..
just have to be vigilant with squishing the adults and spraying for the larva..
I would repeat the process twice a week for a month!
I have had scale on my nice Ficus bonsai..they are tough!!
but beatable..
squish, spray and repeat..
squish, spray and repeat...
Scot