What are these and how do I get rid of them

[Gbarce]

My young dypsises have spots!!!

I am guessing its some sort of scale - sucking insect.

Do I just soap it up?

[Gbarce]

Under the leaf

[Tyrone]

Scale. Use pest oil on them. That will kill them, but you'll need to wipe them off.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Palm Hound]

would a plant insecticide kill them? I think so.

[Gbarce]

Tyrone - pardon my ignorance but what is "Pest Oil" is that a generic thing or a commercial product??

What causes these outbreaks in the first place????

[Pivi]

i think it is "white oil"

[Kris]

Dear Gene

In india pest oil or horticulture oil always refer to neem based oils.(that is the oragnic stuff)

But as palm hound as pointed even very harsh commercial pesticides also do this work perfectly..but you have lots of lovely pets at home,it is very risky to use this.

this is what i use till this day..

http://www.tstanes.com/pest_management.html

lots of love,

Kris

[GREENHAND]

I use ULTRA FINE , inscect oil, you can get it at wallmart , home depot, ect you put it in a pump up sprayer ane let them have it. after they croak you can just wipe them off.

[MattyB]

Gene,

for a light infestation like yours you can spray them off with water to control them. If they continue, then use some oil or whatever others are suggesting. Keep the ants away, they farm them.

[JimR]

I use Neem Oil as well. It works for me.

[Tyrone]

The trouble with many contact insecticides is they won't work on scale. Their hard coat protects them. If you use an insecticide, be sure to use a systemic insecticide. Neem is mildly systemic, but don't let the leaves see more than 30C straight after a neem application because it makes many palms photosensitive and they can burn. I did that to a sunhardened Dypsis decipiens. It had me really puzzled why it burnt until I retraced my steps. Pest oil suffocates scale and mealy bugs. Pest oil is basically thin petroleum oil, and is different to white oil, I think, but both should work. You still can't use it when temps are likely to be above 30C though. Once they're dead you just wipe them off, or hose them off. You can't really hose off live scale. You'd need so much pressure you'd rip the palm up. They hang on quite hard. But the main culprit in scale and mealy bug infestations is the ants, as they farm scale. Try to control both concurrently and you'll have better success.

Best regards

Tyrone

[BS Man about Palms]

Yeah, what Tyrone said.

[Gbarce]

THanks guys -- this was very informative.

I used soapy water on an arenga hookeriana with some "softer" type of scaly insect and it worked. Would that also work on this harder shelled variety?

[gcyao]

THanks guys -- this was very informative.

I used soapy water on an arenga hookeriana with some "softer" type of scaly insect and it worked. Would that also work on this harder shelled variety?

Gene,

You will have to apply every day for a month for it to work. It will not touch the ones with hard scale, only the crawlers that hatch from eggs.

Why don't you try Furadan? It is effective vs. some scale insects and will keep ants away too. Alternatively, you can try coffee ground as discussed in another thread here.

[gerard]

THanks guys -- this was very informative.

I used soapy water on an arenga hookeriana with some "softer" type of scaly insect and it worked. Would that also work on this harder shelled variety?

Gene,

You will have to apply every day for a month for it to work. It will not touch the ones with hard scale, only the crawlers that hatch from eggs.

Why don't you try Furadan? It is effective vs. some scale insects and will keep ants away too. Alternatively, you can try coffee ground as discussed in another thread here.

Put some sigaret/tabacco in your rainwater ,these nicotine in the water will do the job.

Succes