How Do You Control Scale Insects On Outdoor Plants?
Scale insects are sucking insects that weaken plants by sucking the sap from the tender plant tissues. Leaves yellow and drop and eventually the plant will die if not controlled. Here’s how to treat scale on your outdoor plants. Know what you’re looking for. Scale insects resemble round or oval 1/10- to 1/5-inch bumps without legs. They are hard to spot unless you look very closely. Look for scale insects on the undersides of leaves year-round. They gather in clusters near leaf joints and on leaves and soft stems. The scale secrete a large amount of honeydew onto the foliage, which causes sooty mold, a black fungus, to grow. Black leaves and stems are also an indication of scale insect infestation. Prune and dispose of infested branches and twigs. Attract predatory beetles, such as soldier beetles and ladybugs, to your garden by planting coreopsis, dill, fennel and nectar plants such as salvia. Remove scale insects from plants using a soft cloth or sponge dipped in insecticidal soap. R
