cottony cushion scale

[duajones]

Someone at the GW citrus forum mentioned that is what may be on my small Satsuma. I have read that natural control by beneficials is best but dont seem to have that option. Whats my best option for eliminating it?

[karpes]

Use ultra light horticultural oil or Malathion. I would use both together and spray in late afternoon when the temperature is low. Don’t use the oil during the day or on trees that are stressed from lack of water. This scale has been known to inject toxins, which can cause tree death. Damage may also result from the excretion of honeydew and the development of sooty mold on the foliage and fruit reducing photosynthesis. I would take care of this as soon as possible. Oldude

[kelleyville]

Is that the stuff that hops when you touch it? I had something that looked just like that last year and it was not scale, that whole cottony mass moved if you touched it!

This year as soon as I spotted one I knew there would be more. Neem will take care of it. Use at half the recomeneded rate, use in the evening. if its the bugs I am talking about and not scale whatever that is, you can also use liquid sevin. you might even get away with a soap solution as the bugs I am talking about are very soft and disssolve easily. I have a concoction of less than half rate of sevin liquid, dawn dish soap and neem. They are gone almost instantly!

Same thing as above with neem though do not use during sunlight hours and it too is an oil which is why I use it half recomended rate as I damaged some plants with it last year.



Kelley

[karpes]

Kelley If you poke it with you finger and it moves then it is almost surely a Mealybug. They are related to scale and cause the same problems. I have heard that rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab will kill them ,but I have not tried to eliminate them that way. Karpes

[kelleyville]

Thanks for clearing that up! So far I have not had the scale only one or two of the mealy bugs h ere and there! Last year there were hordes of them and I could not keep up and they kept multiplying while I tried to find something to kill them. I remember thinking it was some kind of mildew and going to wipe it off and h aving tons of those hoppin white bugs go everywhere! They are hard to catch once they hop! Adding cotton swabs and alcohol to my porch shelves for the garden. Worth a try for a few here and there rather than spraying everything if it doesnt need it.

Now last year someone told me I should be spraying the neem all along as a preventative, I just cant bare to do it!

Kelley

[karpes]

By the way the first picture bottom leaf looks to have the egg of the orange dog caterpillar. It’s the small orange spot at the top of the leaf. I would squash it soon, because they love to eat citrus. When hatched, the caterpillar looks like a bird dropping. karpes

[gssgarden]

Had the same thing on my Meyer Lemon. Tried insecticde soap for a while but it seemed like it was taking to long. Had to switch to a more potent product. Just keep checking them weekly. They'll pop back up in no time.

Greg