Fighting Scale Insects: These Home Remedies Help Naturally

Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:27 pm

Scale insects are among the most common pests of houseplants and plants on the balcony and in the garden. They damage the plants by sucking out their nutrient-rich sap, which in the long term leads to the death of the plants. To prevent this, it is advisable to fight scale insects. With these simple tips and natural home remedies, a scale insect infestation can be quickly controlled – without any chemicals at all.

How do I recognize a scale insect infestation?

Scale insects have a shield-shaped body with a brownish or white color. The aphids appear especially in winter, when they find shelter and food on the plants to overwinter. They hide on the undersides of leaves, stems, young shoots and in shoot axils.

As scale insects suck plant sap, which contains protein and sugar, they secrete a clear, sticky liquid called honeydew. If this honeydew is visible on leaves, stems and around the plants, such as the flower pot or floor, it is recommended to take a closer look at the plant. Ants are also attracted to the sweet honeydew, which may indicate an aphid infestation. In case of light infestation: remove scale insects In case of a weak scale insect infestation, it is often sufficient to wipe the animals away with a damp cloth. A tooth

brush is also suitable to reach the shoot axils and areas between closely spaced shoots well. The important thing with this method is to be really thorough, because individual animals left on the plant can quickly reproduce and spread again. Showering with a jet of water, as recommended against aphids and spider mites, is less effective with scale insects because the adult pests stick firmly to the plant.

Control scale insects with orange oil

Against many pests essential oils have proven their worth. For example, to combat scale insects helps orange essential oil, which has a fat-dissolving effect that dissolves the waxy protective shell of the animals. For this purpose, a solution is prepared with which the animals are sprayed. You will need the following ingredients the orange spray: 100 ml of water 10 drops of orange essential oil 1 drop of dishwashing liquid Required time: 10 minutes.

This is how you control scale insects with organic pesticide made from orange oil: make orange oil solution Put water, orange oil and dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle and shake briefly before each use. Control scale insects and spray Spray the solution evenly on all scale insects. While doing this, also check twigs, shoot axils and leaf stems to catch all the critters.

Tip: You can also take advantage of the fat-dissolving effect of orange oil in a homemade orange universal cleaner. Beneficial insects against scale insects in the garden Some beneficial insects such as ladybugs, ichneumon wasps and earwigs help to reduce the pests in a natural way. Beneficial insects can be established in the garden by setting up a suitable shelter, such as a homemade insect hotel. ichneumon wasps are also available in garden stores and can be released directly into the garden. An untidy corner in the garden with wild growth is also readily accepted by beneficial insects, bees and butterflies.