Question
QUESTION: I have a plumeria plant in a large pot.  The top of the leave are green and beautiful, however, on the back of the leaves are alot of white small dots.  When I spray them off with water the white dots fall off but leave dark dots in it's place.  What is it?  What causes it? Can it kill my plant?  What can I do to make them go away?  Help!

ANSWER: Hi Susan, sounds like scale insects or whitefly larvae, either way get some common household isoprohyl alcohol and swab or spray it on them, let it sit for an hour or so and then spray it down with your hose to wash off the dead insects with the excess alcohol, its getting to that time of the season when Plumerias begin to get affected by a fungal problem that is like orange pollen all over the bottom, this is very difficult to control, and it is a prelude to when your Plumeria loses its leaves through the winter. Nick

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QUESTION: Can this kill my plant?  And do I have to worry about this forever?  Or will the treatment plan you recommended stop it from coming back?  Anything preventative I can do in the future?

Thanks!

Answer
No, this will not kill your Plumeria (Frangipani in Hawaii)..the only thing that many people do that kills a Plumeria is too much water, this will rot the root system, otherwise just keep an eye out for the scale and/or whitefly from coming back, there is no way to prevent it....:)Nick