How to Get Rid of Scales on a Ficus Tree

Indoor plants such as ficus are protected from many of the pest and disease problems that plague their outdoor counterparts. However, ficus that have spent the summer outdoors often bring scale inside with them for the winter. If your ficus is suffering from a scale infestation, there are many different methods for dealing with this pest, from pesticides to more organically friendly mechanical removal. Scale can encourage other problems, such as sooty mildew, so it's important to treat infestations promptly.

Small syringe
Rubbing alcohol
Cotton swabs
Insecticidal soap
Spray bottle
Bucket
Imidacloprid

Instructions

- 1
  Remove scale insects by hand if you only have a few ficus trees. Check under each leaf, and remove each insect by hand or with a blast of water from a syringe. Recheck weekly until no scale insects are detected.
- 2
  Apply alcohol to scale using a cotton swab if the insects are difficult to dislodge by hand. Test an inconspicuous spot on your ficus before using this method, however, as alcohol can cause severe burns to some plants.
- 3
  Apply insecticidal soap with a spray bottle to a ficus with a serious scale infestation. Coat the undersides of leaves thoroughly. Dip smaller plants in a bucket containing insecticidal soap. Retreat plants as new scales appear.
- 4
  Apply imidacloprid to the soil of the ficus if a large number of adult scales are present. Encourage the ficus to pull this systemic insecticide into its tissues by giving it a thorough watering after application.

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