Scale insect control is better early than late
Let's talk about some knowledge of the flower clinic. Scale insect control is better early than late. Detailed content will be shared next.
Many flower friends are looking for the best method to control scale insects. In the insect world, Ouyang Feng is probably the scale insect. The adult insect's shield is wax-like, which can be said to be invincible to all poisons, making many flower friends headaches and annoyed. I am also one of the victims who have experienced shield scale, powder scale, root powder, and cottony scale and so on. Because I always act tough and never believe in folk remedies, I never give pests a chance to struggle, so although I was briefly troubled, I finally luckily eliminated batch after batch of scale insects. Now I also have some experience, which I would like to share with flower friends:
First of all, the key points of controlling scale insects are: better early than late, better tough than soft, folk remedies are misleading, throw them away and spray pesticides immediately.
1. Most flower friends find scale insects when the adults start to cause trouble. Let's start with prevention and control.
Do not share basin water when soaking pots:
When soaking pots, except when repotting, do not share basin water, especially for plants that are not growing well but have no obvious external symptoms.
Isolate new flowers and plants and add a base tray:
When breeding outdoors, new flowers and plants must be isolated and observed for more than two weeks and a base tray must be added. Root powder scales will crawl out of the bottom hole to meet their beloved plants, especially succulents, from far and wide.
Control the nymph stage in winter and during the period of "Jing Zhe":
In winter, when flowers are dormant, the eggs and nymphs are also resting. At this time, scale insects are the most vulnerable because they have not yet equipped their invincible armor. Controlling them at this time can achieve twice the result with half the effort. Low-toxic lime sulfur can kill them and also kill the eggs. Oxygen dimethoate can also be used. Spray and pour the roots, but pay attention to choosing a sunny and warm day to avoid plant frostbite. The period of "Jing Zhe" is the time when nymphs occur after winter. Spraying oxygen dimethoate at this time can also achieve twice the result with half the effort. The same precautions should be taken on sunny and warm days (the above preventions should be sprayed every 7-10 days, for 2-3 consecutive times, especially for flowers that have had scale insect pests in the same year); from May to June is the mixed period of adults and nymphs. Oxygen dimethoate is fine, and if there are many adults, you can directly use diazinon.
Kill ants:
Ants are close allies of scale insects. They will graze scale insects like shepherds. Therefore, once ants are found in potted plants at home, immediately sprinkle insecticides such as "Mie Ant Qing" around the ant nests within a 3-5 meter radius. Sprinkle several piles for a significant effect.
2. Kill the adults.
The appearance of adults is a bit tricky, but with a miracle drug in hand, there's nothing to be afraid of.
Soak a cotton swab with alcohol or any sticky substance that does not harm the plants, and remove and kill the visible scale insects. Cottony scales have good jumping power but are easy to find. A pile of white fluff is where the cottony scales hide. Directly pinch them with gloves, and be sure to act tough.
After dealing with most of the adults, it's time for the root work. Don't use any folk remedies; the miracle drug comes out:
Diazinon (also known as Supocide), an easily obtainable insecticide for scale insects, is probably the most effective. At around 10 yuan for 200ml, it can last for a few years at home. In fact, diazinon can eliminate both adults and nymphs in one go. Lazy friends can skip the hand-picking process and directly spray diazinon. I have tried both methods, and both worked cleanly.
(Attached introduction to diazinon: It has a unique professional penetrant in the world, with very strong penetration power. It can penetrate the scale and wax layer, making it highly effective against scale insects, especially shield scales, and it can also penetrate leaves to kill insects on the back of the leaves, with a duration of more than 30 days. Regarding the topic of high toxicity and banned use, it still needs to be discussed. I have checked, and currently, Supocide is only banned in the production of vegetables, fruits, and sweet corn in China.)
For root powder scales, in addition to spraying, you need to take an extra step, which is to pour the roots. The dilution of diazinon is slightly higher than that for spraying (for example, if you spray at a ratio of 1:800, then pour at 1:1200, it's roughly ok). The amount of pouring should be the same as when watering the plants thoroughly. Remember to add a base tray to the pot and let the medicine water seep out for 1-2 hours before pouring it out.
Generally, use diazinon every half a month to 20 days, for at least 2 consecutive times. I have encountered pests that were completely eliminated in one application, and the second time is purely for prevention. Do not spray or pour in the middle of summer at noon. That's what I can think of for now. Also, remember that diazinon has a strong odor, so it must be used outdoors. Pregnant women should avoid using it. Better to lose the plant than hurt one's family.
The above sharing is a comprehensive introduction to the early and late control of scale insects. I hope it brings some knowledge about green plants to green plant enthusiasts.