How to Control Scale Insects on Indoor Plants
Control scale insects on indoor houseplants by catching the infestation early. Spotting the insects before they multiply might save your plant and the others that live around it. Recognize scales by noticing the insect's black to brown coloration and hard looking exterior. You can use simple methods including removing the scales with alcohol and a cotton ball. Heavier infestations require more work such as applying insecticides.
Things You'll Need:
- Rubbing alcohol
- Cotton ball
- Ziplock bag
- Commercial insecticide spray
Homemade Spray:
- Liquid dish detergent
- Water
- Spray bottle or washcloth
- Figure out which scale removal methods work best for you. Avoid granular insecticides because they do not work very well at removing scales (works for other pest removal).
- Pour a bit of alcoholic onto a cotton ball. Gather up scales with the cotton ball. Take the scales that you pick up with the cotton ball and place them into a bag you can seal. Throw the bag into an outdoor trash can to avoid reinvesting the plants inside your home. Choose this method with a light scale infestation.
- Purchase or make your own insecticide. You can purchase commercial insecticides designated specifically for household use at most garden centers. Make your own scale spray by combining 1 tsp. of liquid dish detergent with 1 quart of water. Apply spray through a sprayer; or, place mixture onto a washcloth. Wash both infected leaves and stems with the washcloth to remove scales. Keep using insecticide once a week for a month to gain control of an infested plant.
- Throw away houseplants with a severe scale infestation unless the plant means something to you. You can avoid infesting the other plants in your home by using this method.