Scale on cacti

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Bananaguy
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Scale on cacti

#1

Post by Bananaguy »

2024 we had a drought and crazy heat index’s and this year the cold extremes one week then hot the next. Basically all my prickly pear in my beds has scale. One probably got it and spread it around the yard. Systemic won’t work on dormant plants. Kinda a challenge to spray them with a hose to knock scale off and worried making the soil around them wet. Horticulture oil washes off during any rains. Don’t want to toss all them away but not sure if in the winter scale is active enough to kill the cacti and I could wait till spring to apply systemic. Anyone have any ideas or had any issues with this?
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Gee.S
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Re: Scale on cacti

#2

Post by Gee.S »

You could spray malathion in the meantime.
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
Bananaguy
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Re: Scale on cacti

#3

Post by Bananaguy »

Thanks, Think it will work with cooler temps still? Have you had good experience with it or is it not much better then neem oil for scale?
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Gee.S
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Re: Scale on cacti

#4

Post by Gee.S »

I don't know that neem oil does anything at all. Malathion will kill them.
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
Bananaguy
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 815
Joined: Sat Dec 16, 2017 6:19 am
Location: SE NC Zone 8a

Re: Scale on cacti

#5

Post by Bananaguy »

Okay thanks!
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