I have a baytree and it has scale insects sucking on it. I dont want to use a systemic insecticide as I cook with the leaves. It also gets small green catterpillars (inchworms) that eat the young leaves and stick them together all year.
2006-10-15 11:58:57 · 8 answers · asked by watcher0012 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
try borax powdered soap. mix with water and spray trees
2006-10-15 12:01:53 · answer #1 · answered by T C 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dragon's going in the right direction. The white oil is called horticultural oil. You can also use Neem Oil extracted from neem seeds. They do kill by suffocation but scale insects will not drop off when they die. That little shell they build over themselves stays attached to the stems even when dead. A week after a thorough spraying you'll have to take cotton balls and a weak detergent soultion to wipe the dead things off. Kind of icky but that's what you have to do.
2006-10-16 10:41:23 · answer #2 · answered by college kid 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you can get old fashioned twists of chewing tobacco, grind it up and make a tea out of it. Strain it to get out any solids and spray that one your bay plant. It is a natural insecticide.
Don't go to a store and buy bagged chewing tobacco because it is made with syrups and flavoring. If you can't find any of it locally, you can go to the internet and get in touch with Stoker's tobacco in Dyersburg, Tennessee and buy just about anything you want.
2006-10-15 19:36:33 · answer #3 · answered by Polyhistor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if its only a few try hot water like you would do with an ants nest...if there are more and they come back... I heard vinigar makes the inchworms dislike the leaves...donno if it works but it never hurts to give it a try.... good luck
2006-10-15 19:04:04 · answer #4 · answered by wennie21 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
White oil available from garden centres is not toxic and when sprayed on scale insects kills them by suffocating them. (I think they breathe through their bodies). They drop off no more problems.
2006-10-15 20:46:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, but the only way to do this is to scrape the scale insects off (a lolly stick will do) by hand.
Pick off the caterpillars by habd whenever you see them.
Laborious, I know but only way without chemicals,.
2006-10-15 19:20:38 · answer #6 · answered by wendy k 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
depends on what climate you are in but a praying mantis might help,if you check online you can order them via the internet
2006-10-15 20:29:15 · answer #7 · answered by washburn1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you tried soap?
2006-10-15 19:03:43 · answer #8 · answered by Gone fishin' 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋