Question
QUESTION: what is scale and how can i identify if my plants suffer from diseases before they  become problems and i hear and use coldpressed neem oil on the indoor plants to protect from pest but i find i have to use it very regularly

ANSWER: Hi Matt.  here we go with the description
Scale Insects
Scale insects are a peculiar group and look quite different from the typical insects we encounter day to day. Small, immobile, with no visible legs or antennae, they resemble individual fish scales pressed tightly against the plant on which they are feeding. There are over l50 different kinds of scales in Virginia. Many are common and serious pests of trees, shrubs, and indoor plants.

Damage
Scale insects feed on plant sap. They have long, threadlike mouthparts (stylets) six to eight times longer than the insect itself. Feeding by scales slowly reduces plant vigor. Heavily infested plants grow poorly and may suffer dieback of twigs and branches. Occasionally, an infested host will be so weakened that it dies.

Doing some checking around I have read that Neem and coffee grounds in the pot will do the trick.  My Neem Oil is 100 per cent pure that I use.  There are many types out on the market and some have poison added to it so read the labels.  I am going to try this approach at our nursery.  Scale is alot harder to get rid of then other types of bugs. Also scrape off as much scale as you can.  It does take some extra work but much safer than poison... Happy Gardening  kathy


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QUESTION: ok so im still a bit confused kathy, so i will assume that scale would be found on the stalk and/or branches of the plants??? and when using neem oil...i have some pure cold press neem oil that works great for mites but would i use in the same way or you said something about neem and coffee grounds in the container??? is that to act as a protective layer to keep them from crossing over to the plant or should im still not sure if i have a problem with them or not but there are something that may be what you described i find it on lower stalks of the plants and i cant really tell if its just a normal occurance since if i scratch at it with my finger nail it doesent come off ???

Answer
Hi again Matt...sorry to confuse you, in my head it sounds logical.  If it is scale it is like a tiny lump on the stem that sucks the life out of the plant.  If you have sprayed it with neem, they don't fall off, but if you squish them something like blood comes out of them if they are still alive.  If nothing comes out they are dead.  I then brush them off and re-spray just incase there are babies under the ones I have brushed off.  I read on another web site that the coffee grounds in the pot helps keep them away, they also used neem.  So I am trying it myself as I think they are nasty little creatures and don't want them on my plants either.  Being organic at my nursery I will try anything that is natural, so I don't have to use poison. You could also try using a magnifying glass to see if what you are seeing is moving.  Neem kills nothing just changes the flavor they love and they go else where, so the lady bugs and good bugs are also not killed.  Most products kill both good and bad.

One last thing is Neem is also a fungicide and a miticide,there is basically nothing it will not respond to and rid your plants from the pests.     Happy New Year kathy