Re: scale insects

Oliver T Massey CFS (massey@hal.fmhi.usf.edu)
Tue, 31 Jan 1995 09:23:39 -0500

> I've got an infestation of scale insects on my Nepenthes X
> 'coccinea', and despite picking them off by hand several times they
> keep returning. Anyone know if it's safe to use an emulsion or meths
> on Neps or should I just carry on trying to manually remove them? I
> just hope they don't spread to my other plants...
>
> On a different note, I've built a terrarium fitted with those
> low-energy fluorescent bulbs that are being marketed as replacements
> for regular incandescent bulbs - ( 23W bulbs producing 1500 lumen, )
> and I'm trying it out with some surplus Drosera and Dionaea ( ~6000
> lux on a 16 hour cycle. ) I'll post a progress report in a few weeks /
> months when the plants have adjusted - I don't know what the spectrum is
> like, but any deficiencies should show up by then. They're a hell of
> a lot cheaper than grow bulbs so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Anyone
> else ever tried these?
>
> Happy growing,
>
> Peter

As for scale, I would like to hear some good answers too, I have kept it
under control but never completely eradicated it. As for those 23W
lights (lite lights!) I have a terrarium I set up using one of those
round circle lights (used to use 23W now uses 32W). I have had the same
S. psittacina in it for about 9 years. However, I am not generally
happy with it, while the plants live, the last few years they have not
flowered, and they are not really gaining any size. ALthough I don't
know for sure, I think the early lights had better light output than
they do now.

Tom in Florida, on a cold day with a high only in the 50s