The Tropical Fruit Forum

Citrus => Citrus General Discussion => Topic started by: giorgosgr on November 26, 2019, 08:56:33 AM

Title: How to get rid of this?
Post by: giorgosgr on November 26, 2019, 08:56:33 AM

(https://i.postimg.cc/8JMKNFdW/20191126-153823.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8JMKNFdW)

(https://i.postimg.cc/RqQmTqrN/20191126-153828.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/RqQmTqrN)

(https://i.postimg.cc/xkTnk2pc/20191126-153854.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/xkTnk2pc)

Two of my citrus trees have this in their inner branches and i cant get rid of it. Its probably something common, but does anyone know what is it and how to get rid of it?
Thanks
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: Bomand on November 26, 2019, 09:06:54 AM
Soft  cushiony cotton scale. Use Neem oil or a good horticultural oil. May take a couple of sprays. Do it when temps are under 85F. The black looking deposits are the residue left by the scale. Other insects will feed on this and sooty mold can develope. Spray. Common problem with lemon. Look for other places for this pest. Other .....such as Buford Holly will harbor him.
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: brian on November 26, 2019, 09:49:11 AM
I fought cottony cushion scale for years with smothering sprays, but they kept coming back.  I eventually got rid of them using a systemic insecticide imidacloprid.
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: spaugh on November 26, 2019, 10:48:45 AM
Use the garden hose and spray them off every couple days until they are gone. 
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: Millet on November 26, 2019, 02:22:20 PM
As Spaugh wrote, put one of those brass adjustable nozzles on your hose and adjust the nozzle  to the straight water spray, and you can blast them from the tree.  Make 3 to 4 follow up sprays.  Keep an eye out for any further build up and blast them as quick as you see them.
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: pinkturtle on November 26, 2019, 02:31:27 PM
Can just cut the branch off from the tree?
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: giorgosgr on November 26, 2019, 03:13:54 PM
Thanks a lot for the advise! i will try first with water and then the other methods!
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: giorgosgr on November 26, 2019, 03:15:28 PM
Can just cut the branch off from the tree?

No, its one of the main branches and its loaded with fruit that will ripe in 1-2 months
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: lebmung on November 27, 2019, 04:14:34 PM
Water will not solve the problem. Try neem oil at 3% if you still want to eat the fruit.
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: giorgosgr on November 28, 2019, 02:44:41 PM
Water will not solve the problem. Try neem oil at 3% if you still want to eat the fruit.

I will try neem oil until the fruit is ready and if the problem has not gotten away i will try using insecticide imidacloprid as suggested.
Thanks for the advise!
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: Millet on November 28, 2019, 03:29:28 PM
Lebmung,  may or may not kill 100% of the cottony cushion scale (CCS) but at this point giorgosgr's tree is heavily infested with the insect. A hard direct in line spray with his hose will certainly greatly reduce the highly damaging attach that his tree now has.

Also I found this on the University of California's web site about  imidacloprid.

Do not apply imidacloprid (Merit or Bayer Advanced Citrus Fruit and Vegetables) for cottony cushion scale control. Although imidacloprid has scale insects listed on the label, it doesn’t kill cottony cushion scale. To make matters worse, imidacloprid is very toxic to vedalia beetles. The beetles are poisoned when they feed on cottony cushion scale that have ingested imidacloprid. Cottony cushion scale outbreaks have been observed following use of this insecticide because the vedalia beetles were removed and the insecticide didn’t control the pest
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: lebmung on November 28, 2019, 07:15:44 PM
Millet i agree with you with hose but after the spray so those don't spread around.
Agaist scale I tried many commercial l inceticides systemic or contact, none worked.
Scale need to be suffocated.
The best formula I found was 3% neem oil and 2% millettia pinnata oil mixt with a surfactant.
They die next day. This mix is good only during the winter, in summer it will burn the tree.
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: giorgosgr on November 29, 2019, 03:40:23 AM
Millet i agree with you with hose but after the spray so those don't spread around.
Agaist scale I tried many commercial l inceticides systemic or contact, none worked.
Scale need to be suffocated.
The best formula I found was 3% neem oil and 2% millettia pinnata oil mixt with a surfactant.
They die next day. This mix is good only during the winter, in summer it will burn the tree.

So the only thing that should really work is neem or other oils. With temps around 45-70 °F it shouldnt damage the tree, right?
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: giorgosgr on November 29, 2019, 03:44:52 AM
Lebmung,  may or may not kill 100% of the cottony cushion scale (CCS) but at this point giorgosgr's tree is heavily infested with the insect. A hard direct in line spray with his hose will certainly greatly reduce the highly damaging attach that his tree now has.

Also I found this on the University of California's web site about  imidacloprid.

Do not apply imidacloprid (Merit or Bayer Advanced Citrus Fruit and Vegetables) for cottony cushion scale control. Although imidacloprid has scale insects listed on the label, it doesn’t kill cottony cushion scale. To make matters worse, imidacloprid is very toxic to vedalia beetles. The beetles are poisoned when they feed on cottony cushion scale that have ingested imidacloprid. Cottony cushion scale outbreaks have been observed following use of this insecticide because the vedalia beetles were removed and the insecticide didn’t control the pest

Thanks for the info, but due to winter aproaching i have not seen any vedalia beetles around and usually there arent any until the March. Also is it possible they will die when temps fall below 40°F?
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: lebmung on November 29, 2019, 08:26:32 AM
Millet i agree with you with hose but after the spray so those don't spread around.
Agaist scale I tried many commercial l inceticides systemic or contact, none worked.
Scale need to be suffocated.
The best formula I found was 3% neem oil and 2% millettia pinnata oil mixt with a surfactant.
They die next day. This mix is good only during the winter, in summer it will burn the tree.

So the only thing that should really work is neem or other oils. With temps around 45-70 °F it shouldn't damage the tree, right?

Up to 21 C it will not damage the trees. Over that temperature tender tissue will brown.
Not any oil will kill them. I just tell you what it worked for me and tested on my trees.
It will kill scale of any type including the red Californian scale which is very difficult to kill. It's also preventive measure for other pests for winterizing.
If you can't find these oils including the surfractat which is very important maybe I can help and send you.
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: spaugh on December 01, 2019, 10:26:16 AM
Spraying water got rid of them on my heavily infested gold nugget tree.  You just have to keep going back every few days and doing it until they are gone. This is what I use.

(https://images.homedepot-static.com/productImages/060c9b3d-df88-4678-8026-15a543f8c2c9/svn/nelson-nozzles-wands-573tfrhd-64_1000.jpg)
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: brian on December 01, 2019, 11:07:03 PM
I was reading somewhere that high CO2 levels will kill scale insects.  Not sure how much truth to it.  My greenhouse is now going over 10k ppm CO2 (1%) on cold nights since I sealed it up real tight.  10k is OSHA limit of safe workplace, 30k (3%) is safe limit for short periods of time (15min or so?) for humans. 
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: lebmung on December 02, 2019, 11:02:33 AM
Why do you have such a high level?
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: brian on December 02, 2019, 12:13:34 PM
I'm running an unvented nat-gas heater.  I could vent it but I was curious if it would actually be a problem.  I have carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide sensors.  CO is never above zero, CO2 was ~6k max before I sealed all the air leaks, now I see it pass 10k. 
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: Millet on December 02, 2019, 03:26:57 PM
Brian, the high CO2 should greatly help the growth of your trees.  Commercial greenhouses  install CO2 generators for exactly this additional growth,
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: lebmung on December 02, 2019, 06:05:26 PM
I'm running an unvented nat-gas heater.  I could vent it but I was curious if it would actually be a problem.  I have carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide sensors.  CO is never above zero, CO2 was ~6k max before I sealed all the air leaks, now I see it pass 10k.

I used propane to heat the greenhouse and it consumed all the oxygen. I was lucky it didn't explode. The greenhouse is so well sealed that is has almost no air leakage. Of course I didn't have any sensor.

Quote
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have now revealed that the concentration of nitrogen in plants’ tissue is lower in air with high levels of carbon dioxide, regardless of whether or not the plants’ growth is stimulated.

https://science.gu.se/english/News/News_detail/increased-carbon-dioxide-levels-in-air-restrict-plants-ability-to-absorb-nutrients.cid1309352 (https://science.gu.se/english/News/News_detail/increased-carbon-dioxide-levels-in-air-restrict-plants-ability-to-absorb-nutrients.cid1309352)


Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: brian on December 02, 2019, 07:10:10 PM
How did you find out it ran out of oxygen?
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: SeaWalnut on December 02, 2019, 07:45:59 PM
If you are heating with gas and want to know if the oxygen is low ,then light one of those air pressure lighters or a small blowtorch.
These have a blue flame normally but if it becomes reddish means its not enough oxygen to suport full combustion.
Having low oxigen means you will burn more gas to heat because its inneficient combustion.

Another thing worth mentioning is to not trust the carbon monoxide sensors never.They are not lab grade tools and they are good to have but not good for accuracy tests.
Gas burning usually releases little CO if the burning is efficient ( if the flames are blue).
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: Millet on December 02, 2019, 08:34:09 PM
In my greenhouse I have two large propane heaters.  One is set to come on when the greenhouse temperature falls to 55-F.  The second propane heater is set to come on when the greenhouse temperature falls below 40-F, therefore the second heater  only ignites if the primary heater fails.  I have used this system for 30 years.  Both heaters are vented to the outside. I have never ever had a problem with low oxygen.
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: SeaWalnut on December 02, 2019, 08:41:16 PM
In my greenhouse I have two large propane heaters.  One is set to come on when the greenhouse temperature falls to 55-F.  The second propane heater is set to come on when the greenhouse temperature falls below 40-F, therefore the second heater  only ignites if the primary heater fails.  I have used this system for 30 years.  Both heaters are vented to the outside. I have never ever had a problem with low oxygen.
Somme gas heaters draw fresh air from outside and they have a double chimney one inside another.On the interior they draw air and on the exterior cavity they push the burnt gasses( exhaust).Thats how forced air gas centrals chimneys.
In my kitchen when i fry something in the owen ,the blue flame of my blowtorch becomes red if i dont open the window.The oxygen becomes low.
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: lebmung on December 03, 2019, 05:03:07 PM
How did you find out it ran out of oxygen?

It was an emergency day so I put a burner inside and and burn the gas. It consumed all oxygen then the flame ran out so the gas kept flowing. The whole greenhouse was full of gas, like a bomb which was waiting for a spark. Fortunately nobody smoked around.  :o
Title: Re: How to get rid of this?
Post by: brian on December 03, 2019, 09:13:42 PM
Scary.  I was very worried about this when I started with gas heaters but even after running propane all night in a small area it was fine.  Must have been leaking enough to keep new air coming in.