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Cottony cushion scale

Icerya purchasi

Notes:

Something going on over My Sweet Neem tree plant.

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30 Comments (1–25)

Sachin Zaveri
Sachin Zaveri 12 years ago

ID updated,

AlexKonig
AlexKonig 12 years ago

nice sachin, the video really feel dramatic :), doesn't know what it is . The white balls look for me not as fungi, more like a cocoon, little orange/brown aphids (or some kind of bug) , with ants nursing the cocoons. Maybe those bug have addapt or do not really feed from the tree. (or you would have seen only this generation, if you would not have removed it allready ! ). nice, and good luck with a complet id !! :)

Sachin Zaveri
Sachin Zaveri 12 years ago

Thanks reeoooe for your advice but I am too late to notice it and follow your suggestion to remove it, they spoil major part of my sweet neem plant. but still plant alive and I will take care of it. thanks again reeoooe

reeoooe
reeoooe 12 years ago

They definitely are some form of scale insects/ products of them and they are looking really vicious! Ava T-B's right. If you want to save that poor plant, remove them by hand and not use any chemicals, then use a strong jet of water to flush off the leftover scale insects and their products. My desert rose was badly infested by mealybugs once and this method worked really well. I have not seen them since. Smearing small amounts of liquid/ hand soap on them gets rid of them too but you must be sure that your plant is not sensitive to oil because such soaps often contain some form of oil. Pest control aside, it is indeed really great to learn more about such wierd forms of nature. ;)

Sachin Zaveri
Sachin Zaveri 12 years ago

worried what's going on,

Sachin Zaveri
Sachin Zaveri 12 years ago

right argybee

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 12 years ago

The new ones looks like pumpkin seeds with legs.

Sachin Zaveri
Sachin Zaveri 12 years ago

There are some new comers over there (06/01)

Sachin Zaveri
Sachin Zaveri 12 years ago

Thanks Ava, I get to notice these little and important part/cycle of nature just by Noah, I had no words to thank,

Ava T-B
Ava T-B 12 years ago

If you keep watching, you may see more and more of the puffy balls. If that's the case, and you value the tree, you should wipe them off by hand and do something to discourage the ants from coming on to the tree.

Sachin Zaveri
Sachin Zaveri 12 years ago

Nice idea argybee,
I will keep updating,,

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 12 years ago

I think the best thing is to watch it every day taking photos until there is nothing left... then you will finally know all.

Sachin Zaveri
Sachin Zaveri 12 years ago

Yet not get any clarity,,,,

Sachin Zaveri
Sachin Zaveri 12 years ago

here is picture of the plant,
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/829...

Ava T-B
Ava T-B 12 years ago

Curry Leaves Tree is different from a regular neem tree, so that explains that!

Sachin Zaveri
Sachin Zaveri 12 years ago

this one totally different from Azadirachta indica (neem tree)

Sachin Zaveri
Sachin Zaveri 12 years ago

It is over 'Curry Leaves Tree' (Murraya koenigii) we call it Sweet Neem

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 12 years ago

Sachin is 'My Sweet Neem' the same as standard neem tree?

Ava T-B
Ava T-B 12 years ago

Here's another spotting of scale. It's similar to yours but not exactly the same: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/791...

Ava T-B
Ava T-B 12 years ago

What's curious is that Sachin says this is on a neem tree, and neem oil is used to kill agricultural pests. So whatever kind of scale this is, it's STRONG.

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 12 years ago

It might help to know the type of tree they are on.
They will probably be only on a specific plant species.

CindyBinghamKeiser
CindyBinghamKeiser 12 years ago

:) I'd wait for more input from people that may know first hand. I'm just guessing. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with this specific organism.

Ava T-B
Ava T-B 12 years ago

I think you have to investigate further. Start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_insec...
I definately don't think they are egg sacs.

Sachin Zaveri
Spotted by
Sachin Zaveri

Ahmedabad, India

Spotted on Jan 1, 2012
Submitted on Jan 2, 2012

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