# Hard Scale?



## bwester (Jun 9, 2006)

I have this stuff on some of my plants that looked like scale, but didnt move at all. I would have a pic, but in a panic I released a malathion H-bomb in my greenhouse. What is the difference between hard and soft scale? Is there one that wont move?


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## likespaphs (Jun 9, 2006)

in the adult stages, neither move. the immatures, called crawlers, do.
soft scale gives off honeydew (bug poop), hard scales don't.
i think that when one rubs a soft scale with a fingernail, the insect stays stuck to the leaf, while the shell (scale) scrapes off. i think armoured (or hard) scale comes off with the shell when scraped...though i may have that backwards


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## bwester (Jun 9, 2006)

Malathion kills both though, right?


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## likespaphs (Jun 9, 2006)

i dunno. i never use anything that hard.


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## Heather (Jun 9, 2006)

likespaphs said:


> i think that when one rubs a soft scale with a fingernail, the insect stays stuck to the leaf, while the shell (scale) scrapes off. i think armoured (or hard) scale comes off with the shell when scraped...though i may have that backwards



I could be wrong (never had hard scale) but I think you're backwards, I just found a soft scale on my di - it was a good one, had I know Blake was posting this I might have taken a photo before I moshed its little a$$.

There was nothing left behind when I scraped it off - they come off w/ a fingernail - kind of a waxy texture, and light brown. Also dissolve in alcohol. I wish all orchid pests disolved in alcohol. It would make my life much easier!


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## bwester (Jun 9, 2006)

I wonder If you could use seven with orchids? Any input?


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## likespaphs (Jun 9, 2006)

i'd use a scale parasitoid or a scale beetle...though, if you've used a pesticide with a residue lately, it may kill the beneficials. i just let a bunch of scale destroyer beetles go. they're tiny, but effective... then again, they're in a greenhouse.

there is stuff called distance. i don't know if it's available to homeowners, i'd have to check, the label, and, actually, never used it on scale, but it's pretty soft and less toxic. used it for whiteflies and took the little s.o.b.'s right out.
there was some phytotoxicity on a plant in the milkweed/dogbane family, though...


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## Rick (Jun 9, 2006)

I've tried several control methods, but the best results I've gotten so far are with Merrit. It's a systemic with a 30 day residual in the plant tissue.

It can be purchased in a premixed spray at Home Depot as a Bayer product called "Rose and Bloom" spray.


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## bwester (Jun 9, 2006)

likespaphs said:


> i'd use a scale parasitoid or a scale beetle...though, if you've used a pesticide with a residue lately, it may kill the beneficials. i just let a bunch of scale destroyer beetles go. they're tiny, but effective... then again, they're in a greenhouse.
> 
> there is stuff called distance. i don't know if it's available to homeowners, i'd have to check, the label, and, actually, never used it on scale, but it's pretty soft and less toxic. used it for whiteflies and took the little s.o.b.'s right out.
> there was some phytotoxicity on a plant in the milkweed/dogbane family, though...



Where can I get the beetles? I have a greenhouse, so it should work.


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## likespaphs (Jun 9, 2006)

there are scale beetles and parasitoids (parasites don't kill their hosts, parasitoids do). 
some sources include:
rinconvitova.com
greenmethods.com
ipmlabs

if you've used a pesticide recently, though, you have to check about any residual as the beneficials are very susceptible to the residues.


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## bwester (Jun 9, 2006)

What beetle should I be looking for?


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## likespaphs (Jun 9, 2006)

the scale destroyer, rhizobious
you may want to start with this info page and go from there...
http://greenmethods.com/incl_pages/gb_index_portal.php


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## L I Jane (Jun 9, 2006)

I had some soft scale on violaceas in the house & they just laughed at the alcohol wipebut then when I used the pyrethrin spray (Schultz Instant Houseplants & gardens)that did the trick.I did it at different intervals to take care of any 'babies'.The bigger guns are used in the greenhouse.


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## Jmoney (Jun 10, 2006)

enstar is very expensive but it kills scale and mealies, dead. and they don't come back for a long long time. it's some hormonal thing that, if I recall, causes the buggers to differentiate before they're ready. It's either that or painstaking alcohol wipes for my windowsill.


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## bwester (Jun 10, 2006)

What about Isotox systemic?


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## likespaphs (Jun 10, 2006)

systemic pesticides are very good in that they are distributed throughout the plants, so any where that the bug bites, the bug is poisoned. contact pesticides require the pesticide or its residue touch the pest


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## likespaphs (Jun 10, 2006)

you can also used a q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol and rub off each scale. magnification helps...


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## bwester (Jun 10, 2006)

I dont have the patience for the alcohol method. I'd much rather hose down my plants with a chemical pesticide. Have you used isotox before?


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## likespaphs (Jun 10, 2006)

i've used orthene total release aerosols in a greenhouse while wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment, but have no other experience with it.
orthene stinks for about a week (maybe less) after it's use. if i remember correctly, a little bit of a rotten egg smell


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## Marco (Jun 15, 2006)

http://www.factbites.com/topics/Scale-insects

http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/champaign/homeowners/040515.html


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