TommyMacLuckie

Sabal minor 'Louisiana' palms have scale on 'em - bad (as does one windmill and a gardenia). I've done the coffee grounds route. Nothing. The scale just laughs at it. I can hear it when I water the palms. It wasn't pure coffee though, coffee and chicory. I'm starting to guess that that is not effective and I need to find some straight coffee and try that.

Now that it's cooled off I'm turning to an oil to spray. I really need to kill the scale off. It's starting to spread. IT MUST DIE.

What I'm wondering is if anyone knows of something better than the oil to spray that will work. I've tried the Safer soap but I never got the impression that it was working.

Tropicman

Neem oil has been working for me on scale.
I purchased neem oil concentrate at my Local Lowes.

Randy4ut

This is all I use and is a systemic. Recommended by THE largest cold hardy palm nursery owner in NC...

Orthene TT&O 97% WP

Usually one application does it, but the way it sounds, you may need two. Cost seems expensive, but at one teaspoon per, it has lasted me two years and I still have three quarters of the container left! It is good for many different applications too!

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saltydad

Randy- Do you use any 'sticker' with the Orthene?

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Randy4ut

Howard, I apologize, but I do not understand your question... Please clarify what you mean by 'sticker'.

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sandy0225

a sticker is an additive you add to your pesticide to make it "stick" to the plant better and not run off, it makes your sprays more effective. Even a small amount of soap or oil can be used as a sticker, or there are commercial products called spreader-stickers that work even better.

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turtile

It's not required since it's a systemic insecticide which means it absorbs into the plant. Scale feed within the plant tissue and their exposed side doesn't allow penetration of insecticide. Since the insecticide is inside of the plant, it's very effective with scale while protectant (aren't absorbed by the plant) insecticides don't work well if at all.

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TommyMacLuckie

A sticker. That's funny. I've heard people say that but I've never actually believed it. I was not told that from the person I learned to use a tiny bit of soap for spraying plants. Just that it's to help break up the chlorophyll more so the plant absorbs, in the case of killing cat's claw, poison ivy, Asian and North American Wisteria, Cayratia or smilax, more of the herbicide.