How to Treat Scale Insects on Schefflera to Completely Eradicate Them

Schefflera is also called umbrella tree. Although it has lush branches and leaves, stays evergreen all year round, and has extremely high ornamental value, many plant lovers like to keep it indoors for care. Over time, they suddenly find the plant's leaves covered with scale insects. So how do you eradicate scale insects on Schefflera?

The main pests of Schefflera are aphids and scale insects. Aphids mainly feed on the plant's tender shoots, while scale insects mainly feed on the plant's leaves. For a foliage plant like Schefflera, once the leaves are attacked by scale insects, the leaves become very unsightly, which not only reduces the ornamental value of the potted plant but also affects the plant's normal growth.

Scale insects are very harmful to Schefflera, so once they are found, measures should be taken promptly to treat them until they are eradicated. Generally, we can use omethoate emulsifiable concentrate diluted with water to spray and kill them on the plant. But the concentration needs to be controlled properly. Generally, use 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate diluted 1000 times with water, spray the plant once every 10 days, and after 2-3 consecutive treatments, the eradication effect can basically be achieved.

Of course, when using chemicals to spray and kill scale insects, in addition to strictly following the scientific ratio for dilution and mixing, the method of spraying the solution must also be correct. Generally, spray the entire tree thoroughly, especially both the front and back of the leaves. Do not spray only the infected leaves just to save a little pesticide or save effort; be sure to spray the entire plant all over.

However, if we do not have a chemical such as omethoate emulsifiable concentrate, we can also use a bristle brush or a writing brush, dip it in salt water or soapy water, and directly brush the scale insects off. But using a bristle brush to deal with the pests generally makes it difficult to achieve complete removal, so it is recommended to brush several more times until the pests are thoroughly cleaned off.

Moreover, in addition to cleaning off the pests thoroughly, we also need to promptly improve the care environment of the potted Schefflera, because Schefflera is usually prone to scale insect infestation when the environment has poor ventilation and the branches and leaves are too dense and closed in. Therefore, we also need to promptly improve ventilation conditions, provide the plant with sufficient scattered light, and take good measures to prevent pests.