Bugs?
 

Any idea what these are? They're brown with a smooth hard shell.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/27/aharyvy7.jpg

Can you post a close up? Scale are brown with a smooth hard shell but I'm not sure where the bugs are in the photo.

I'll try to take a closer photo. If you zoom in on the leftmost spike you might be able to see them.

Yep, scale! Get it away from your other plants! For me it is the most difficult bug to get rid of and I usually end up just trashing the plant,sometimes I have tried for over a year.They are very persistent!...Jean

I agree with vjo that it looks like scale. I wanted to see a better close up to confirm as they aren't always that dark brown and shiny. But there are different kinds of scale too. I also agree, isolate it and start getting them under control! Scrape off the ones you see. Then you will need to treat it with an insecticide for a few weeks to kill any that hatch and hide in cracks and crevices of the plant. I also find it the most difficult pest to get rid of so I use Merit which is a systemic containing imidacloprid. It seems to do a permanent job of killing them off. If you just have a few, you may not need this.

Sigh I hate plant pests. Thanks for the id.

Yes, me too. You wonder where they come from sometimes!

seems you might have the armored scale type which you dont find on the leaves and are females. The scale fall off the trees when the wind blows or it rains hard as I notice your plants r outside. Squish em and listen to them go crunch :waving

Such horrible things! I have been simmering rhubarb leaves,straining them then adding a few drops of dish soap, a little alcohol and some cinnamon extract. I spray it on. It has been the best home remedy I have tried for all insects.

Rhubarb? it works? I'll have to give that a shot