don't know that they would destroy the plants make 'em look pretty sick tho'.

anyway here's what i know, look for ants in both cases the ants harvest these bugs as well as thrips/mealy bugs, i myself have never had any of those bugs without ants being present. so when/if you find the ants you will need to move them on.

aphids are just too easy to get rid of a good strong spray of water from the garden hose will knock them to the ground might have to do that for a day or 2, once on the ground they or the ants are going to have a very difficult job getting them back on the plant.

now the scale i use white oil (clear or the milky 1 no matter), usually i mix it at app' 1/4 the recommended rate, apply heaps of it to the stems/trunks, leaves over & under, but always after the heat of the sun you may have to do a couple or so sprays. spray only the affected parts. there is a recipe for home made white oil on my remedies page.

there are products around that will help to stop the ants climbing in the tree, there is a gel' that fruit orchidist use, plus i have heard of petroleum jelly/vaseline being used, and also a wide strip if sticky maybe duque tape wrapped around the trunk sticky side out is another i've heard of.

also recipes for ant baits on my page, if you have plenty of water? a dripping hose set up over the ants nest for 3 or 4 days will move them on as will giving their nest a good watering morn' n nite for 3 or 4 days.

anyhow that orta keep you busy for a while.

len

mail len

lens garden page

At the same time as spraying for scale kill the ants present as it is the ants which farm the scale for the sticky secretion exuded by the scale. Black sooty mold is another sign of scale as it is the secretion that causes sooty mold. The white oil will also kill the mold.

A good alternative to control sooty mold is a tablespoon of LUX laundry flakes dissolved in half a bucket of hot water and then diluted down to make 20 litres of spray. Don't use more flakes than stated, it is unnecessary besides too much soap on your plants is not good for them.

Lux beats detergent and cooking oil mixtures hands down and it will also control SOME of the soft scales and you don't need a space suit to spray it.

If you use a lot of white oil try your local Ampol/Caltex bulk fuel depot for "Ampol DC-Tron Plus". A 20 litre drum here in Brisbane is about $80. DC Tron Plus is the same product as one of the major fertiliser suppliers sold in nurseries for about $15 for 500ml. The nursery branded product is bought from Ampol and repackaged under their own brand.

Doug.
Doug.