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Re: Scale Insect Questions?

At 08:50 PM 2/5/98 -0600, you wrote:
>Hello Everyone,
>
>        I'm having a problem with scale insects on an indoor broad-leaf
>bird's nest fern.  I've rubbed them off with alcohol and sprayed them with
>"Schultz-Instant", an indoor Pyrethrin insecticide which is supposed to kill
>fern scales.  I'm afraid to use a systemic or anything stronger than a
>Pyrethrin spray because ferns are so sensitive to any and everything.  Will
>fern scales spread to houseplants other than ferns?  Does anyone have a
>suggestion for dealing with these little varmits on delicate plants?
>
>Kathy (meistrel@nwark.com) in Northwest Arkansas--zone 6  
>
Hi Kathy:

Just rubbing off the scales with alcohol is not enough.  The invisible
babies are still running around feeding on the leaves.  I discarded my fern
because the scale got into the fuzzy base and there was no way I could get
them all.
I think you will have difficulty getting rid of them.  Bird's nest ferns are
fairly common so you should be able to replace it.

Yes, scale will spread to other houseplants, especially staghorn ferns but
other ferns and anything with woody stems.

I painted my orchids with alcohol and a 1" paint brush, the whole thing,
even letting it drip onto the roots.  It took a few treatments but
eventually I got rid of them - the scale not the orchids :-)

Good luck.

Ruth Z
Ruth Zavitz                                     
rzavitz@execulink.com                            
Freelance Writer & Gardening Consultant, zone 6 Southern Ontario
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