Getting Rid of Scale Without Chemicals

Story: Getting Rid of Scale Without Chemicals
Episode: 3
Presenter: Neville Passmore
Air Date: 16th March 2024


Neville has a simple, one minute hack, for getting rid of scale.

  • Scale infestation is evident, with little sap-sucking limpet-like insects impeding the growth of plants and attracting ants as accomplices.
  • Ants feed on the sticky sap extracted by the scales and assist in spreading the infestation by transporting young scales to new areas, in turn affecting different parts of the host plant or even other plants.
  • The exudate, a carbon-rich material that many plants produce and release externally, produced by scale insects serves as a food source for a fungus known as sooty mold which shows as a black, sooty covering that blocks sunlight from reaching the plant's foliage and negatively impacting its health.
  • You can create a DIY spray by emulsifying half a cup of castile soap with 1 cup of vegetable oil in a blender to make a concentrate. Then, dilute 2 teaspoons of this concentrate into one litre of water in a hand sprayer, ensuring thorough mixing before application.
  • Opt for spraying on days with a maximum temperature of 25 degrees celsius to avoid adverse side effects.
  • To deter ants and protect a tree or plant, you can also wrap a wide amount of electrical tape around the trunk and apply a thick coating of petroleum jelly on top of the tape, making the surface area too slippery for ants to climb up.

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