Neem oil scale remover is a great way to get rid of scale insects for both indoor and outdoor plants. They are unpleasant creatures that suck the sap, resulting in yellowing leaves, stunted growth, sooty mold, in addition to causing a drop on heavily infested parts.
Houseplant scales can be found everywhere on a plant, though they usually hang around on the stems, leaf joints, and veins of plants. You can use neem oil alongside insecticidal soap and rubbing alcohol when controlling scale.
How to Deal With Scale Using Neem Oil
You can deal with scale insects using neem oil by mixing the oil with water, spraying the affected plants, wiping the scales with a cloth, and repeating the process after a few days. Prevent scale on your plants by keeping them clean, using horticultural oil, or introducing natural predators.
– Identify the Scale Insects
Identifying scale insects in your plants is the initial step before you apply systemic insecticides like neem oil. Scale bugs possess various colors and some of them can appear in brown or grayish-white.
You should inspect your plants for these pests, especially on the main veins and underside of the leaf. Scales can complete their life cycle in one year and scale infestation is high at larval stages, though their life span can vary from weeks to several months.
An adult female scale insect can be wingless while the males might have a single pair of delicate wings without mouthparts. Scale insect damage is observed on the roots, leaves, or fruits of your indoor plant. Insect control methods such as using neem oil spray are excellent when scale damage is at its early stage, which is why checking for the pests is of paramount importance.
– Mix the Neem Oil With Water
Neem oil is obtained from the seeds of the neem tree as a highly concentrated natural pesticide, which is why it is vital to mix it with water. You should do this not only to make the oil more affordable but to also dilute the strong active ingredients that are found in it.
This will make the oil less harmful to your indoor plants and safer for the environment, otherwise, if you apply it without proper dilution, you will end up harming beneficial insects as well. To make a commendable neem oil solution, you should mix one part of neem oil with 10 parts of water.
Mixing the oil with water also assists in creating a homogenous mixture that is easier to apply to plants. Please note the oil and water will separate if left alone for some time, so you need to shake the mixture well before using or applying it to plants with scale infestations.
You can use a container with a tight-fitting lid to shake the mixture well, or if you have a small amount, you can mix the solution in a bowl by whisking it well. Neem oil that is properly mixed will effectively control scale, spider mites, and other garden pests.
Once the oil and water are combined, you can add a few drops of liquid soap to the mixture. The soap will help to emulsify the solution and make it stick to the plant’s foliage better. You can use any mild soap for this purpose, including Castile or dishwashing ones. Be sure to use only a small amount of the mild soap, considering that too much can damage plants.
– Spray the Oil on the Infected Plants
Once you have mixed the neem oil solution with water and soap, you’re ready to apply it on your plants to destroy the scales. Fill up a spray bottle with the solution and shake it well to mix the ingredients thoroughly.
You can then spray the solution directly on the scales, covering both the top, the underside of the leaves, stems, and branches. It is important to thoroughly coat the soft scale population with the solution so that it is absorbed into their bodies and finds its way into their system.
Proper spraying will effectively reduce scale bug infestations. When you are spraying the oil solution, it is vital to do so on a cloudy day, in the early morning or late afternoon when sunlight is not so intense.
This is because direct sunlight can lead to the oil evaporating quickly. This means that the oil will not have adequate time to be absorbed into the soil and leaves, so the scale insect has greater chances of surviving under such circumstances.
Another important point to note is that the oil can also burn the leaves of your house plants if you consider spraying them during sunlight hours.
– Wipe the Scales With a Cloth
You can use a soft cloth to wipe off all the plant pests that have been killed by the oil. Once you are done spraying the neem oil scale treatment, you will need to wait for a few hours to allow neem oil to dry out and the scales will become easier to remove.
This step is important in order to avoid damaging the leaf or stem surfaces for your plant. This will assist you to properly remove the houseplant pest like soft scale without damaging your houseplants.
You can also consider using a cotton swab or towel to gently rub or wipe the scale population away. It is important to be firm enough to remove the scales, but gentle enough that you don’t damage the surface beneath them.
When you are working, you may need to periodically stop and reassess your progress. It is common to miss smaller scale insect groups or to just accidentally leave some behind. To avoid such scenarios, simply go back over the area that you have already worked on and continue wiping with your cloth until all of the scales have been removed.
– Repeat the Process After Seven to 10 Days
It is important to know that scales are resilient creatures; it is not easy to fully eradicate them with one treatment. This is why we recommend that you repeat the process after seven or 10 days to make sure that all the pests have been eliminated.
You can use a double treatment with neem oil and insecticidal soap to suffocate the pests and also prevent their growth. However, horticultural oil can be also used as the insecticide for scale insects that kill scale creatures.
You should also make sure that you give your plants a good shower after each treatment. This will assist you to get rid of any remaining scale insect populations that might still be clinging onto the leaves. After providing your plants with a wash, make sure to check for any signs of these pests so you can control them before they cause more damage to your plants.
– Engage in Recommended Care Procedures
Always keep your plants healthy by ensuring they get enough sunlight, water, and nutrients. Different plants have varying care requirements that enhance their growth and survival. A healthy plant is less likely to be affected by pests and diseases. You should buy disease-free seeds from shops, and use uninfected potting mix to reduce scale bug infestations.
Each time you wash your plants after a neem oil treatment against scale, remember to put them where they can quickly dry up. You can even use a soft cloth to dry the foliage. Failure to do so may make your plants vulnerable to fungal infection, leaving you with another problem to deal with.
Frequently Asked Questions
– Where Do Scale Bugs Come From?
Scale bugs come from clusters on branches of your house plants. Their attack is relatively stealthy because of their small size and color that often blends in with the plant’s bark. A new plant that has been bought from a store can bring a scale insect to your home garden.
Moving your plants outside during summer can also play a significant role in introducing insects when you move them back at night. An open window can also provide the leeway for the spread of soft scale because crawlers are so tiny which makes them migrate more easily. In some cases, scale insects to a new plant via infested soil or garden tools.
The female scale bug lays her eggs under a hard, waxy covering that protects them from environmental factors and predators. Once the eggs hatch, the immature insects, known as crawlers, move to new locations on the plant or on nearby plants to feed.
– Do You Need to Protect Myself When You Control Pests Using Neem Oil?
You do need to protect yourself when controlling pests using neem oil even though it is generally safe to use. Spraying Neem oil requires you to put on protective clothing. Wear your mask and gloves and avoid inhaling the spray mist as much as possible.
Additionally, it can slightly irritate your eyes, so safety eyewear should be worn. We recommend that you also wear a respirator when spraying the neem pesticide to prevent the inhalation of potentially dangerous particles. The purpose of the respirator is to filter out particles and protect the lungs from pesticide chemicals.
– How Does Neem Oil Kill Scale?
Neem oil kills scale insects because they have small pores on their surface and these are for breathing purposes. Neem oil covers these pores, thereby blocking them. Scale insects cannot breathe through the pores that are clogged with neem oil and this kills the pests.
Neem oil also interferes with the feeding system of pests. IfJust like any other living organisms, pests die if they are deprived of their feeding capability.
Conclusion
This guide has given you adequate details that you require to control scale insects using neem oil. Before you leave, let us run through some main points you should note!
- Scales can complete their life cycle in a single year and the larval stage is the one that has severe negative effects on your house plants.
- Mix water and neem oil properly because little concentrated oil can cause harm to the environment which can also result in the death of insects that are beneficial.
- You should wipe off the scales of the leaves, stems, and branches of your plants once you have left them for several minutes to dry out.
- Repeat the process of applying the neem oil to your houseplants because it is difficult to eradicate the scale with one treatment.
- Keeping your plant clean, buying disease-free seeds from shops, and using uninfected potting mix to reduce scale bug infestations .
If your plants are affected by scales, you should follow the procedures that have been explained in this guide to eradicate them. Start today and keep your plants healthy!
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