My snail vine has scale, and I've sprayed now 3 times, I had it looking decent, and the yellow leaves had dissappeared, now their back again, and I 've used a whole quart of malathion spray on this thing to get rid of them and they keep coming back, I can't spray this down with the hose, it's in teh greenhouse, growing in the rafters. what can I do. spray it everyday for a week or so? Just look how pitiful it looks, this thing was blooming and absoluely florishing a month ago
another view
Might be a good idea to remove the plant,before it spreads to the other plants.
You might try some dormant oil,I use veggie oil with dish soap,in a spray bottle,works a little,but never seems to kill them all completely.
Once a scale insect reaches adult stage and has the waxy covering, common insecticides will not kill it. You have to kill the immatures before they lose their legs and make the waxy covering. They are only mobile and vulnerable for a few days.
I'd recommend cutting the plant back to less than a foot tall, hand pick the remaining scale that you can see and spray the plant with an insecticidal soap several times, about a week apart. You might also try a systemic like Bayer.
Put the part you cut off into a plastic bag and dispose of it, don't compost it. Check your other plants for scale, ants will come in and move the scale insects to other plants.
OH just great, LOL, I really didn't want to cut it back but I geuss I"ll have to. thanks for the info guys
Kathy_ann, I agree with Cala. But mature snail vines are vigorous growers and I bet that once you can put it outside in the sun, it will put out new growth quickly and hopefully bloom again this season.
well, that's just it, I don't want to put it outside, I was hoping to keep it inside, and just let it take over the rafters, guess i'm ot going to be able to do that. scale just won't let me, I have to move it inside this winter, and will have to cut it back I guess. thanks
Kathy-
they form a tuber. A big FAT tuber...you should be able to whack it back with no harm done. It will recover very quickly from the tuber(s).
Mine die back to the ground each winter and return bigger each year.
So, cutting it will just purge it, but not harm it.
Scale are very hard to get rid of once they get going. I agree that you should use more drastic measures, or you'll infest your entire greenhouse with them...
-T
yes, I've seen some scale on the scented geranums too, i've been cleaning out there to say the least, and I cut the snail vine back drastically and moved it too. we'll see how it's progress goes.
Check your other plants for immature scale, they are kind of yellowish clear and hard to see, but much easier to kill. If there are only a few, dab them with alcohol.
Bugs suck...don't they, Kathy! I feel for you. Sounds like you got great advice and cutting it back will just make it grow even better. Keep us posted!!
Now did someone say tubers?? Hmmmmmm........
;) Donna
