Best Way to Treat Bad Case of Scale on Dendrobium?

[Callie]

Hi:

I'm new here - I've been doing research on a problem that appeared over the last few months on my dendrobium. I think I've narrowed it down to scale. Looks like a pretty bad case since it's on most of the leaves (underside). Can anyone suggest what I should use to effectively blast those critters?

Thanks.

[Lagoon]

This could be difficult and take time on your part, so stay with it - I know you'll hate it

1/2 teaspoon of dish soap in 1 liter of water, shake really well & spray down til run off, use a soft tooth brush. Go up and down the canes & leaves like a crazy person and fan dry if you can.

Every 3 days for 3 times - then check the media for any free loaders. Change media if you have too.
Keep your eyes out for a few days ...

If this doesn't get them, then try neem oil. It's stinky but it works very well.

G'luck Callie

[cb977]

I douse them with alcohol, then use one of those dentist's scrapers to remove them. Gloria's suggestion is another good one.
The key is to actually remove them and to re-treat a few times.

[Bob2741]

I was directed to a Bayer product by a major orchid grower in my area it's bayer for roses and houseplants I got it at lowes the lable lists scale, anyway it worked in about a month on an orchid that was shipped with some scale on it.

[Ross]

The key, here, is persistence. Whichever chemical or home remedy you use, you need to stick with it weekly. This may take more than a month of treatments and even then, the best you can hope for is control. (This from personal experience.) All the above will work. You just have to be diligent to keep after these things.

[Bob2741]

Originally Posted by Ross

The key, here, is persistence. Whichever chemical or home remedy you use, you need to stick with it weekly. This may take more than a month of treatments and even then, the best you can hope for is control. (This from personal experience.) All the above will work. You just have to be diligent to keep after these things.

AMEN

[let_it_grow]

I like peroxide cause it goes fizzy when you get one and the fizzies help to lift the scale off the plant.

[Bill_NeOh]

I agree with Ross, once you have scale the best you can hope for is control. At one point I thought I was scale free. No signs of the buggers for at least 6 months. I quit treating and the next time I had humidity problems and no airflow in one corner of the greenhouse, yep, there they are again. I know which orchids to watch for them to appear. I usually do not have problems keeping the scale out of my dens.

I spot treat with Bayer “Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer Ready-To-Use”
Bayer Advanced ™ Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer Ready-To-Use

and I add about 1 1/2 teaspoon of Bayer “Tree & Shrub Insect Control Concentrate”
Bayer Advanced ™ Tree & Shrub Insect Control Concentrate
to 2 gallons of water when I fertilize.

This seems to keep them hiding.