scale on fig trees in a greenhouse

[dr-solo]

I guess that cheap orchid brought scale into my greenhouse where I keep my fig trees. I have 9 trees in there, lots and lots of leaves and I am not going to clean each one with isopropyl. Does anyone know of a good bug bomb that I can set off that will kill the scale (and the ants working on the honeydew)? Ingrid ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Somewhere between zone 5 and 6 tucked along the shore of Lake Michigan on the council grounds of the Fox, Mascouten, Potawatomi, and Winnebago

[David E. Ross]

If you are NOT an organic gardener and if bees or pollinating wasps are not active among the fig trees, try Bayer's "12 Month Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed". It contains imidacloprid, which is a systemic insecticide. This is mixed with water in proportion to the size of the tree and used as a drench to water the tree. Although imidacloprid is not approved for use on edibles, studies indicate it is harmless to mammals, including humans; but it is highly toxic to bees.

I successfully used Bayer's product to eliminate persistent scale on my orchids (indoors), scale and spider mites on my scheffleria (indoors), and leaf miners on my citrus (outdoors). Currently, I am experimenting to see if it stops flat-headed bark borers on my peach tree. A benfit is that one treatment lasts almost a year (but less than the full 12 months that is advertised).

[David Hare-Scott]

I doubt that a 'bomb' would work as the critters are safe inside their layer of wax and are generally immune to contact insecticides. Spray with white oil (pest oil) or a systemic insecticide made up according to directions. Beware some of the systemics are quite dangerous, wear protective clothing, masks etc and ventilate the greenhouse, which is why many prefer the oil.

D

[dr-solo]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Somewhere between zone 5 and 6 tucked along the shore of Lake Michigan on the council grounds of the Fox, Mascouten, Potawatomi, and Winnebago

[dr-solo]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Somewhere between zone 5 and 6 tucked along the shore of Lake Michigan on the council grounds of the Fox, Mascouten, Potawatomi, and Winnebago