|
Some of these posts are very old and might contain outdated information. You may wish to search for newer posts instead.
|
WeAreMushroom
Ask Me About Bigfoot



Registered: 11/10/14
Posts: 1,405
Loc: Frying Like An Eagle
Last seen: 4 years, 10 months
|
Aggressive Scale Mites on San Pedros!
#23962107 - 12/28/16 08:05 AM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
|
|
Hey guys. So I've been struggling with this really intensely aggressive scale mite infestation of my trich pachanoi. They've had it ever since I purchased them from a home improvement store in October, but I was at first convinced that they had sunspots. As time went on, it became clearer that these were not sunspots.
They show up as hard tan circles that get progressively larger over time, eventually eating out large circular indents into the cacti.

From my reading, I gathered that the right thing to do about this is to cut off each individual scale with a razor blade, and then sterilize the skin of the cactus with high proof alcohol.
I have now spent 5+ hours cutting little tiny scale circles off of each one of my pachanoi. Here is my collection after some of the most recent damage.


I've cut off more new scale spots every day, as well as sterilized the skin of the cacti with isopropyl alcohol. What can I do to stop these bastards from eating my plants?
Please give me your recommendations before I have to chop up these cacti and extract them.
I planned to keep and grow them for many years yet, I hope there's a more effective method for getting rid of this that I haven't heard of. Spraying with hydrogen peroxide? Maybe neem or tea tree oil?
The scale mites haven't shown any indication of attacking my loph willamsii collection, but since they have an entirely different type of skin I'm assuming it's not communicable from trich to Lophophora. I've still been worried though that my willamsii are going to catch something from these...can anybody help put my mind at ease?
|
El Torcho
Time for tea?


Registered: 04/16/15
Posts: 1,365
Loc: Lone Pine Hill
|
Re: Aggressive Scale Mites on San Pedros! [Re: WeAreMushroom]
#23962118 - 12/28/16 08:13 AM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
|
|
It could have just been damage from stink bugs. I've read they can have some sort of a fungus on their mouth needle. So it may spread even without any stink bugs actively feeding. I have a pedro with those scabs, but it isn't spreading anymore on that one or onto others. .
Try some insecticidal soap, if you think it's scale.
--------------------
"Well it sounds trivial, but the key insight is . . . . . you don't know shit" ~Dennis McKenna "There is more to human existence and to reality itself than science can ever give us access to." ~His Holiness, The 14th Dalai Lama
|
WeAreMushroom
Ask Me About Bigfoot



Registered: 11/10/14
Posts: 1,405
Loc: Frying Like An Eagle
Last seen: 4 years, 10 months
|
Re: Aggressive Scale Mites on San Pedros! [Re: El Torcho]
#23962135 - 12/28/16 08:26 AM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
|
|
Quote:
El Torcho said: It could have just been damage from stink bugs. I've read they can have some sort of a fungus on their mouth needle. So it may spread even without any stink bugs actively feeding. I have a pedro with those scabs, but it isn't spreading anymore on that one or onto others. .
Try some insecticidal soap, if you think it's scale.
Thanks brother! Where do I find insecticidal soap? A lawn and garden place? Walmart? Home Depot?
|
NDStepp84
Stellar nuclear waste

Registered: 04/23/15
Posts: 4,956
Last seen: 1 month, 4 days
|
Re: Aggressive Scale Mites on San Pedros! [Re: WeAreMushroom]
#23962186 - 12/28/16 08:50 AM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
|
|
Anytime I've ever seen scale on a plant it would pop right off with a knife without cutting, not sure that is scale but oils will also help smother them.
--------------------
"I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. -Robert A. Heinlein
Links and teks ND's grow log and discussion Plant thread
|
|