Adult mealy bugs and
scales are resistant to insecticides but can be removed by hand; an
insecticide labeled for indoor control of these insects can be used
to kill the immature "crawler" stage.

I had thought that the insecticidal soap sprays worked by suffocating the
adults and poisoning juveniles (but leaving eggs unharmed). Is this
incorrect? Or does this statement reflect the odds against getting total
coverage with the spray?

You are correct. One must get very good coverage to kill adult
scales. At any rate, there is nothing uglier than dead scales
clinging to branches; you have to remove them ANYWAY, so might as
well do it first.

But these are personal things. I often think I became a scientist
because it was a good treatment for my obsessive-compulsive behavior;
if I wasn't picking scales off trees, I'd be picking lint balls off
my sweaters....... You might be more "normal", and prefer to avoid
touching scales at all....
--
Nina Shishkoff

Frederick, MD

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