If you have a scale insect infestation on one of your cactuses (or any other plant) they can be easily removed in 3 steps.
- Before spraying scale insects with spray, ideally, the outside surface of the cactus will be dry (so they spray is better absorbed).
- Spray the scale insect spray on the plant.
- After 2-3 days you can remove all of the dead scale insects. The safest and best way is with a firm bannister brush that won’t damage the cactus or plant.
Why Are Scale Insects Bad?
Scale insects are sap-sucking insects. This means that they rob your plant of the nutrients that it needs to grow. Also, if they cover enough of your cactus they will interfere with the photosynthesis of the plant.
At best, they look very unsightly on your cactus. At worst, they can slowly kill your plant if left untreated.
Can Scale Insects Kill Your Cactus?
If they are left untreated, scale insects can kill your cactus. They can do this by:
(1) Interfering with the photosynthesis of the cactus (if they cover enough of the plant).
(2) Sucking sap and nutrients from the cactus, which it needs to grow and be healthy.
Can You Treat a Scale Insect Infestation?
Treating scale insects is very easy to do. All you need to do is either buy a scale gun from your local garden or nursery shop (I’ve had success using the Yates scale gun) or if you want you can even mix up your own scale insect removal spray.
How to Mix Your Own Scale Insect Spray
You can mix your own spay that can help kill and remove the scale bugs from your cactus. You will need to mix the following ingredients together:
(1) 4 x tablespoons of dishwashing liquid
(2) 1 cup of vegetable oil
Then mix one part of the mixture above to 20 parts of water. Spray the areas affected and this oily mix will suffocate the scale insects [source].
Steps to Remove Scale Insects
How to Get Rid of Scale Insects on Cactus
Total Time: 3 days
-
Prepare your cactus
Before you spray your cactus with any spray from the scale gun, make sure you it is dry on the outside. The spray will be more effective when the outside of the cactus is dry.
-
Spay your cactus with the scale gun
Give the scale gun a shake to mix up the contents and spray everywhere there are scale insects on your cactus.
If you think you need to after the first round of spraying your cactus, give it a break for an hour and spray again. My cactus had so many scale insects covering it that I felt it needed a second spray.
-
Remove scale insects
After spraying your cactus with a scale gun, let the cactus sit there for at least one day if not two to three days. Then using a stiff bristle brush (like a banister brush) brush all of the scale insects off your cactus.
Using a brush is the most effective way to remove scale insects without damaging your plant.
If you don’t have a brush, you could try using a knife or even just your fingers to remove the insects.
-
Re-treat cactus if required
If not all of the scale insects get removed because they are possibly still alive and hanging on, give your cactus another spray on the affected areas and repeat the above steps to completely remove scale insects.
Tools:
- Scale gun (I use Yates Scale Gun)
- Stiff brush (I use a banister brush)
Scale Insect Removal Techniques I Don’t Recommend
When I first started trying to remove scale insects after I treated them with my spray, I initially used my utility knife. All this did was leave marks and scratches on my cactus. That’s why I recommend you use a brush instead, as it won’t damage your cactus.
Final Thoughts
If you have found this guide useful and you have managed to rid your cactus of scale insects, then great. I’m glad you have found this post useful.
All the best and happy gardening.