Little "barnacles" on my sugar apple and fig

[gnappi]

I have what looks exactly little brown hard crusted barnacles on the branches of these two trees. They crack like an egg when I press a fingernail into them, but do not come off with a water spray. Does anyone know what they are and how or if I should get rid of them?

[bsbullie]

JUST by your description with no pics, sounds like scale.

[fyliu]

Scale insects. Soapy water works on immature ones before they become hard. Ants contribute to their spread and they make nectar for ants, similar for aphids.

I get these on my lychees and longans sometimes. I use small twigs to poke them off the fruits dead or alive.