How do I control scale insects?

How do I combat scale insects on my indoor plant?

Scale insects are a troublesome pest that you want to avoid or quickly remove from your indoor plant. These small, hard-to-see insects belong to the family of scale insects but are distinguished by their shells not being attached to their bodies, making them especially difficult to combat.

Preventing Scale Insects

There are no guaranteed methods to completely prevent scale insects, but there are some precautionary measures you can take. Plants exposed to drafts or placed near radiators are at a higher risk of being invaded by scale insects. Therefore, it’s important to maintain stable humidity levels and avoid extreme conditions for your plant. Healthy and strong plants are less attractive to scale insects, so it’s crucial to properly care for your plants.

Different types of Scale Insects

Within the family of scale insects, there are two main types:

1. Boisduval Scale Insect - Often confused with the mealybug, this variant is elongated and has a yellow center.
2. Oleander Scale Insect - This type is dirty white or yellowish with a red center and grows to about 2 millimeters in size.

Distribution of Scale Insects

Scale insects never appear alone; they quickly reproduce and often form large colonies on plants. Males live only a few hours to a maximum of two days, while the females can live up to 120 days and sometimes lay up to a hundred eggs at a time. They can reproduce both sexually and asexually, meaning a small infestation can quickly grow into a significant threat to your plant.

Scale insects are spread by wind, insects, or can even be carried by us via clothing. They are often found on the underside of leaves or on the stem of the plant, making them hard to detect in the early stages of an infestation. Regular checks are crucial to spot an infestation early.

Harmfulness of Scale Insects

Scale insects feed on the sap of the plant, leading to wilting, leaf loss, and reduced growth. If this pest is not promptly controlled, the plant can even die from a nutrient deficiency.

Combatting Scale Insects

It is challenging to completely remove scale insects because they often have a protective shell around them and do not move. An effective method is to submerge the whole plant in water for 15 minutes. This drowns the scale insects and gets rid of them all at once. However, make sure your plant can tolerate this!

Another method involves using alcohol. Soak a cotton ball with alcohol (do not use a sweet drink) and wipe the areas where scale insects are present. After about a minute, the scale insects can be easily removed. Be cautious though, as if you miss one, there is a chance of a new infestation occurring.

Avoid removing scale insects by hand, as this could release eggs and lead to a new infestation. It is crucial to be thorough when removing these unwanted insects.