Scale Pests Infect Local Bushes – ecological pesticide solution provided
Posted on May 26, 2010 by klydon in Home & Garden
Irvington Resident provides ecological pesticides solution for removing scale insect infestation from plants and bushes
A worrisome pest is appearing on bushes around the Spiro Park neighborhood in Irvington New York. The pest is called scale. Left unchecked, scale can kill even a large bushes. It has been reported on hydrangeas and viburnum this season. It grows on the underside of leaves.
Scale infects the bottom of leaves and can kill large bushes
Scale are typically immobile pests that suck plant juices, taking vital sugars away from the plant. They are sometimes hard to identify and often mistaken for natural deformities on plants.
Irvington resident Marcie Cuff has had success with the following home-made solution.
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp Murphy’s Oil Soap
2 cups water
To get rid of scale, you should first prune infested branches and twigs and carefully dispose of them. Then, combine ingredients in a hand-held sprayer and spray plant from top to bottom, making sure you get under each leaf. Shake the bottle often to make sure the oil and water remain mixed. Repeat the process each week until the bugs stop appearing. Throughout this season and next, be sure to inspect infested plants often for re-infestation. Scale spreads quickly and favors certain plant species — so it’s helpful to everybody if everybody in the neighborhood checks plants often.
