Brown Round Scale Insects on House Plants
Brown scale is a common house plant pest that feeds on the foliage of plants. If not controlled promptly, scales result in disease or damage that can destroy the plant. Does this Spark an idea?
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Identification
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Brown scale appears on the plant as small, round spots on both twigs and the undersides of leaves. Brown scale occurs most often on citrus plants, ferns, ficus and ivies. Scales produce tiny "crawlers" that travel close to the producing scale before growing into scales themselves.
Potential
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Large infestations of brown scale can result in leaf loss and stunted growth.
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Treatment
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The protective covering that gives the brown scale its appearance makes it difficult to treat with insecticides. Spray oils can be used on adult scales with some success, but manually removing the scales by scraping them from the leaves is the best way to rid a plant of adult scales.
Immature crawler scales can be destroyed with insecticides intended for use with house plants; however, insecticide must be applied throughout the life cycle, which lasts two to four months. Colorado State University's extension service recommends soil-applied systemic imidacloprid for destroying crawlers and preventing adult brown scale.
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