AllExperts > House Plants 
Search      
House Plants
Volunteer
Answers to thousands of questions
 Home · More House Plants Questions · Answer Library  · Encyclopedia ·
More House Plants Answers
Question Library

Ask a question about House Plants
Volunteer
Experts of the Month
Expert Login

Awards

About Us
Tell friends
Link to Us
Disclaimer

 
 
 
 
About Darlene K. Kittle
Expertise
I have been a Master Gardener for 20 years and I raise around 300 houseplants a year including tropicals, succulents, and cacti.

Experience
She is also studying the Japanese art of bonsai with tropical plants and is President of the Fort Wayne, IN Bonsai Club.

Education/Credentials
I am not a hortculturist. I am a Purdue University Master Gardener for over 20 years. I have studied plants on a personal level by growing hundreds of plants annually for the last 35 years. I have also studied under several nationally known American Bonsai experts.

 
   

You are here:  Experts > Style > Interior Decorating > House Plants > I think my plant has chicken pox!

House Plants - I think my plant has chicken pox!


Expert: Darlene K. Kittle - 10/30/2009

Question
Do you know what these things are that suddenly appeared on my plant stems?

Answer
Linda,

I can't tell exactly what your plant is but the "things" are an insect called scale. Under the hard shell is a bug sucking on the plant and laying eggs for more insects. You need to kill it and it's eggs. Take a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol and flick each bug off into a cup of alcohol. That will kill the insects. Then take a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and sspray the entire plant making sure you get the tops and bottoms of all leaves. That will kill any microscopic immature insects that have not formed hard shells yet. Then watch the plant closely and if you see further signs of insects treat them immediately. You can also go to a garden center and look for a systemic insecticide that will treat scale and use that on your plant to destroy the scale. Good luck.  

Darlene

Add to this Answer   Ask a Question


 
User Agreement | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy | Help
Copyright  © 2008 About, Inc. AllExperts, AllExperts.com, and About.com are registered trademarks of About, Inc. All rights reserved.