Shroomie the Shaman Posted October 18, 2007 Can anyone please tell me what this is on my Psychotria Viridis? I have 2 and the are both suffering from what looks like little eggs (there are alot of ants too) I would like to avoid pesticides if I could, I tried scraping as much as I could off, also using water, but it all comes straight back...Anyone??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PD. Posted October 18, 2007 Looks like scale to me shroomy. Im sure someone here has a novel way to dispose of the lil fellas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shroomie the Shaman Posted October 18, 2007 Looks like scale to me shroomy. Im sure someone here has a novel way to dispose of the lil fellas. Cheers, can someone please stop me from having to goto the nursery, photo in hand to buy a spray? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Doopie sp. Posted October 18, 2007 Thats definitely scale. And if you reckon you have ants crawling around on the tree then that suggests scale too. Each of those little oval shapes is an insect who is sucking on the sap of your plant and excreting a sugary solution which ants love! The ants are harvesting the sugary stuff. You treat scale by spraying it with 'white oil' which is basically olive oil or vegetable oil mixed with water (Click Here). You spray it all over the plant paying close attention to where the scale infestations are. The idea is that the oil clogs up the breathing openings of the insects and they suffocate. You can buy commercial versions of white oil but its basically the same shit - water and oil, maybe with a detergent to reduce surface tension of the whole emulsion. Its probably just as easy and cheaper to make it yourself. But I reckon the safest way to fix it would be pick all the scale off by hand. If you've only got a couple of plants it wldnt take too long. Then just keep picking em off until you dont get anymore. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hellonasty Posted October 18, 2007 Yep scale. Quarantine immediately, they will infest all your plants and cacti if they haven't allready. They can be extremely hard to shake off. Try warm soapy water and a tooth brush and then apply the white oil. give it a fwe days and repeat....few days repeat. Problem is they have this hard shell that makes it difficult for anything to penetrate. Picking them off is good but make sure you remove them or kill them because they just climb back on. Make sure you test the white oil on a small part of the plant first. Has been known to kill. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shroomie the Shaman Posted October 18, 2007 Absolutely brilliant people. I took the photo this afternoon and now (6:07pm) I have several different opinions, all the same. The plants have been quarrantined...well away from my beloved cacti, THANK YOU for there is no sign of spreading. Shall mix up some "white oil," test...then save my only two Psychotrias. Once again, cheers! Your helpfulness will be well used and much appreciated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ajna Posted October 18, 2007 damned scale! white oil def seems to be an effective control, pyrethrum works too but i dont use it because it can do a bit of damage to growth tips on some plants. the way i'm controlling them now is to remove them all by hand, then put a plate/tray of water down and the place the pot on top, raised out of the water with a brick or something. as long as you keep a little water in the tray the ants cant gain access to your plant so you don't get them bringing in more scale infestations. works a treat! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
incognito Posted October 19, 2007 (edited) as opposed to white oil if u have the time and the inclination, ucould just hose of witha jetof water, or use like a dishwashingbrush toscrape of. once the scale is dislodged itcant reatatch and is quite fuct in all regards. if uve only got a small collection and have time to monitor manual controls are best i rekon and it seems to strengthen the relationship that u have with ur plants. -step into the food chain on the plants behalf like some1 stole ur elephant!(CS knows what i mean, i want a rematch biatch )) and the plantswill think ur reallycool without bein sprayed with gunkyshit they hate. they like being touched by hoomans. Edited October 19, 2007 by jono Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ajna Posted October 19, 2007 i agree, see how they radiate after you've just given them a hand-bath! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
incognito Posted October 19, 2007 oh dear....... ur my kind of gardener.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shroomie the Shaman Posted October 20, 2007 You are both my kind of gardeners...I only have 2 infested plants, so this afternoon they will both get a hand scrub with an old toothbrush, a jet stream clean off, I might even be able to go without using anything else...once again, thanks all!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
transDiMenTional Posted October 22, 2007 i have been dealing with these mofos lately. Ive used a brew made from veggy oil mixed with tabbaco water and detergent. works good. but a few applications are necessary. And be sure to wash it off after a few mins Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shroomie the Shaman Posted October 23, 2007 ***They now love me!*** I did only have two plants infested but I used a toothbrush (taking more care than when brushing my teeth!) and a spray bottle set on jet, rinse n repeat every afternoon...by the second afternoon there were only a few! As I sit here looking, they're blooming up in the sun. THANKS ALL!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chiral Posted November 7, 2008 (edited) ***They now love me!*** I did only have two plants infested but I used a toothbrush (taking more care than when brushing my teeth!) and a spray bottle set on jet, rinse n repeat every afternoon...by the second afternoon there were only a few! As I sit here looking, they're blooming up in the sun. THANKS ALL!!! Just thought I'd resurrect this thread and say that.."ANTS LOVE VIRIDIS" and the toothbrush just on its own is great although you have to be vigilant..I am, I do a patrol of my garden even through the night. I go out at 2am with my torch and look for nasties..I have too, ever since some friends of mine had a house fire and I rescued some 150 odd plants of theirs to my garden. I ended up bringing all the pests they had into my garden...grrr.. oh well I think its nicer to be more vigilant and not use any pest sprays etc.. I love the water around the base of the plant idea but I always plant out in the ground so that's not an option for me..does anyone know if its perhaps safe to lay some sort of ant deterrent powder around the base soil to stop ants climbing up..any home made ideas as I don't wanna use any pesticides. I found these links which are pretty cool for home made pest and fungicide control. http://www.valleyk.com/articles/rec_pest.html http://vegetablegardens.suite101.com/artic...l_and_pesticide http://mastergardenergirl.wordpress.com/li...rganic-recipes/ and this one is what I use as a home made fungicide..pinched from the net obviously. If leaf surfaces remain wet overnight, they invite invasion by all kinds of fungi, and sooner or later something you grow is going to develop a disease. Professors at Cornell University developed the following recipe for homemade fungicide, and master gardener Paul James slightly modified it so that ordinary household products could be used: * 1 tbsp. baking soda * 1 tbsp. vegetable oil * 1 tbsp. dishwashing liquid Add these ingredients to a gallon of water and mix well. When you're applying the mixture, make sure you continue to agitate the mixture as you spray so that all these ingredients remain mixed. This homemade fungicide works beautifully as both a preventive and a control. Even though this mixture has been tested on all kinds of plants--ornamental, vegetables and just about everything--you will still want to take the time to test it on a small leaf surface on the plant that you are trying to control the fungus on. H. Edited November 7, 2008 by Hunab Ku Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
