A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Scale on Citrus Trees

Help!!!!! SCALE has taken over my citrus trees.
I have not been able to water accordingly this past year (so they went through periods of extreme dry and then wet) and after this series of rains we just had......let's just say the trees are not happy campers at this point but giving their all to put on new growth. The trees are still very young and I will not be eating the fruit off of them this year....what can I spray them with to rid the majority of scale before they wipe out my 5 trees.

Use a whiteoil or pestoil with an insecticidal soap. Don't spray in the heat of the day. As it's spring, your trees will be hungry and it's time to feed them so they can take care of themselves. Use an organic fertiliser like granulated chicken poo or blood and bone meal with some added sulphate of potash. Apply to moist soil, around the dripline, water well and then mulch heavily to a foot outside the dripline. Citrus are attacked by pests when they are stressed and your description sounds like that's exactly their problem, They'll shake the pests once they get a bit of TLC.
Best to remove the fruit from the trees for the first 2 years while the root system gets established, You'll get a better tree in the long run.

are they potted or are in they in the landscape? also do you know if the scale is dripping a sticky substance?

Planted in the landscape. Raining now for the next few days....so will look for the sticky goo when it stops. They are definitely scale.

I would use a horticultural oil, something like Ultra-fine. I would hold off on feeding until the insect problem is under control. By feeding you are going to push new growth and the scales will love that to feed on that nice soft new growth. Also with using any spray products new foliage is more likely to have phytotoxicity problems.

The rains are a good thing, will get the trees well hydrated before spraying. this is very important to prevent spray damage.

Thank you very much....will stop at the nursery tomorrow to get the oil.

Haven't fertilized yet...guess that was a good thing.... living in S. California....rain/heat and plenty of sunshine brings on the growth and we have had both lately.
Will keep you all updated on the results.

Thanks again, Catlover