An organic and easy method to get rid of horrible green scale!

[FlyingFoxFruits]

I had some green scale, and ants all over some abiu seedlings I have.

I tried a few different times to squish them with my hands, and to apply micro nutritional spays to the trees to get them to grow out of it.

These methods didn't help, and I'm not one to spray pesticides...so the scale got worse.

A week ago, when I was fiddling around with my new hose attachment.  It has a setting (one of about 6) called "Flat".  Its not as harsh as nozzle, or full, but its more powerful than mist.

I held the leaves and stems of the abiu, and proceeded to spray them off, like pressure cleaning, with the hose.  After about 5 min, I had reduced the scale infestation to about 10%.  I repeat this method as much as I can (every 3 days, or more if possible).  The end result is the ants moving away, and the scale not being able to get a footing on your leaves, which are subjected to blasts of water every 3 days.

The leaves (even the young tender ones) don't seem to mind so much, and only show minimal signs of wear and tear.  The hardest scales to get, are the ones along the main nerve of the leaves, near the base...especially the smaller scales.   but repeated trauma does them in...trust me....keep spraying religiously for a few weeks (about 3) and it will whoop that scale and ants behinds!

Now go get em!

[fruitlovers]

I had some green scale, and ants all over some abiu seedlings I have.

I tried a few different times to squish them with my hands, and to apply micro nutritional spays to the trees to get them to grow out of it.

These methods didn't help, and I'm not one to spray pesticides...so the scale got worse.

A week ago, when I was fiddling around with my new hose attachment.  It has a setting (one of about 6) called "Flat".  Its not as harsh as nozzle, or full, but its more powerful than mist.

I held the leaves and stems of the abiu, and proceeded to spray them off, like pressure cleaning, with the hose.  After about 5 min, I had reduced the scale infestation to about 10%.  I repeat this method as much as I can (every 3 days, or more if possible).  The end result is the ants moving away, and the scale not being able to get a footing on your leaves, which are subjected to blasts of water every 3 days.

The leaves (even the young tender ones) don't seem to mind so much, and only show minimal signs of wear and tear.  The hardest scales to get, are the ones along the main nerve of the leaves, near the base...especially the smaller scales.   but repeated trauma does them in...trust me....keep spraying religiously for a few weeks (about 3) and it will whoop that scale and ants behinds!

Now go get em!

Good idea. Since you are already spraying your plants why not attach a hose sprayer and also hit that scale with some dishwashing soap or horticultural oil? Make those scales even more miserable.
Oscar

[fruitlovers]

Forgot to say, i use similar method to yours for spider mites. They hate the frequent spraying to underside of the leaves.
Oscar

[Future]

Did the same for white mealy bugs on my cherimoyas to good effect.

[Guanabanus]

Forceful spraying of water on the undersides of leaves is definitely pesticidal.  Adding soap or oil or both works far better, the first two or three times, then plain water more forcefully than a hose-end sprayer can do, to wash off what has been loosened up.

[Jacob13]

This method works great, I have been doing it for a couple of years now and is pretty much how I get rid of all pests on my plants and trees.  Sometimes, I'll spray them with a little Windex before hand.  It kills all the ants and loosens whatever is attahced to the leaves.

 - Jacob