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Scale in visiting plants

Discussion in 'Issues, Disease and Pests' started by TheKellylove, May 22, 2017.

  1. May 22, 2017 #1
    TheKellylove

    TheKellylove Active Member

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    hi all,

    I will be babysitting my mothers plants this summer. She's off on a grand vacation.
    Unfortunately, all of the plants I've ever gotten from her have had scale on them. I'm sure the plants visiting this summer will be no different. I have limited space and her plants will have to be integrated with mine.

    Anyways, what can I use to treat this scale? I want to kill-em-dead. No messing around with dish soap and whatnot.
     
  2. May 22, 2017 #2
    AnonYMouse

    AnonYMouse aka Ree, the not-so-stealthy lurker

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    I've only used this a couple of times as a last resort, Bayer Advanced 3-In-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control and not on scale (knock on wood). It is a systemic treatment that should be started ~month in advance of the visit.
     
  3. May 22, 2017 #3
    KellyW

    KellyW Orchid wonk Staff Member Supporting Member

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    Knowing the species of scale is important in its eradication. Fortunately I haven't had scale in a long time (mealybugs are a different story) but for the most common orchid scales the Bayer products that contain imidacloprid should work for you. The product that Ree mentioned above is one of those and they are usually available in big box hardware and garden center stores in blue bottles. There are at least 2 formulations that are generally available. These don't leave a significant residue on the leaves either.
    Here is a short article with a table at the end for insecticides.
     
  4. May 22, 2017 #4
    jai

    jai Orchid addict

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    I have used straight up rubbing alcohol and they wipe off instantly:D
     
  5. May 22, 2017 #5
    orcoholic

    orcoholic Member

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    Flagship is expensive, but very effective. It gets absorbed by the leaves and can also be absorbed by the roots. It also has a long residual.

    Also, try to not let the leaves of one orchid plant touch another plants leaves.

    Be sure to spray your plants with a translaminar (like Flagship), or a systemic too - prior to bringing in your mom's plants.
     
  6. May 22, 2017 #6
    Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

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    Bayer 3 in 1 should work well. If your mother doesn't spray regularly it is unlikely that there will be resistant scale. Be sure to drench the roots and bark as well since the scale can live down there. This product only goes up in the plant, so if you only spray the leaves, you won't get any living in the pot. Or you can spray the leaves and dip the pot into a container of the spray. I repeat at 7 to 10 days. If you can hold her plants away from your own until the 2nd spray, that would be ideal.
     
    Jgrimm1055 likes this.
  7. May 23, 2017 #7
    Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    Looking for "big guns" that will do the trick? Probably the best cure I've seen for scale - including boisduval - and interminable mealies as Kelly has experienced, is a 1-2 punch with a mixture of the systemic insecticide, acephate, and the insect growth regulator, Enstar AQ.

    The former kills adults on contact, and the systemic nature gets most of those that are missed in the spraying and recently-matured adults, and the latter prevents eggs and immature critters from maturing. With three, thorough treatments at one-week intervals, it will definitely do the trick.
     
  8. May 23, 2017 #8
    DaveH_SF

    DaveH_SF Member

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    Speaking of drenching roots and bark, I've wondered if it's safe to dip multiple plants in a bucket of systemic insecticide/fungicide such as imidicloprid. Since nothing can survive in the solution, it seems like there would be no risk of transferring anything bad from one plant to the next. And if that's OK, what about a non-systemic fungicide like Physan 20?
     
  9. May 23, 2017 #9
    carl

    carl Active Member

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    Virus won't likely be affected by the insecticide/fungicide, I think.
     
  10. May 27, 2017 #10
    TheKellylove

    TheKellylove Active Member

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    Thank you all. I got some Bayer 3in1. I suspect one of the plants has false spider mites, however. I'll have to find something different for that.