What are Scale insects?
A. They are tiny inconspicuous insects that by the time you realize you have them; they have covered your plant. They are sometimes mistaken for fungal growth. Armoured Scale is often found on the leaf, rhizome, or pseudobulb. Infestations often begin below the leaf sheath where you do not notice them. Watch for yellowing leaves. These insects excrete a waxy, hardened shell-like covering that is not part of the insect. This is where the name “Armoured” comes from. The armour can be circular, oblong or pear-shaped. The adult female is wingless and can lay 30 to 150 eggs beneath the armour. The males have wings and sometimes look like small gnats. The Boisduval Scale can be identified by a cottony mass on the leaves of your orchids. These are the males. Due to this mass they are easily identified. Soft scales do not have the protective armour and their bodies are clear or opaque. They also infest the leaves and the pseudobulbs.
The most common scales are the Armored Scale, Soft Scale, and Pit Scale families. They are tiny inconspicuous insects that by the time you realize you have them, they have covered your plant. They are sometimes mistaken for fungal growth. Armored Scale are often found on the leaf, rhizome, or pseudoblub. Infestations often begin below the leaf sheath where you do not notice them. Watch for yellowing leaves. These insects excrete a waxy, hardened shell-like covering that is not part of the insect. This is where the name “Armored” comes from. The armor can be circular, oblong or pear-shaped. The adult female is wingless and can lay 30 to 150 eggs beneath the armor. The males have wings and sometimes look like small gnats. The Boisduval Scale can be identified by a cottony mass on the leaves of your orchids. These are the males. Due to this mass they are easily identified. Soft scales do not have the protective armor and their bodies are clear or opaque. They also infest the leaves and th
