How to treat Scale 101

Scale varies in colour, shape, and size, but most often appears as small, brown, rounded lumps on your plant’s leaves and stems. 

They typically adhere to the stems, branches, and sometimes the leaves of plants to feed on sap, and they have a shell-like bump appearance.

How to get rid of them:

1. Start by removing the pests with your fingernail or a soft toothbrush, or even a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol. With a slight bit of force, most will easily be removed from the plant.

2. Mix up a Neem oil solution / Scale gun and spray all over. Don't leave any crevice untouched - their larvae are so small they're almost invisible to the naked eye, and they can appear on stems and on the undersides of leaves.

3. Repeat fortnightly until you stop seeing signs of scale. 

Hot tip: be sure to spray at night and when the plant is away from direct sunlight, as the oil can intensify the sun's rays.