# Brom pest help



## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

I pulled this out of my Solarte Viv. What are the little white things on the underside of the leaves? There are snails in the viv. If you know what they are, would a 5% 10 minute bleach dip kill them?


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

I need a bigger picture


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

What are you talking about?! Maybe you just need a bigger computer screen or a new pair of glasses... oh wait... Duuhhh!


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Scale! They love to eat broms and orchids (as well as other plants). Ugh...

Those things will get out of control. I'd yank the broms and soak them in bleach. Alcohol also will get rid of them. You need to scrub them off. Q-tip works. Maybe get them scrubbed off and then soak again in bleach to kill any eggs. Also carefully inspect your other broms.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

So Scale are some sort of bug or crustacean? I've heard of scale but that's the extent of my knowledge.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Yes, the scourge of plant lovers. 

Here are some threads:

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants/74646-scale-insect.html

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants/71554-coccidae-my-plants.html

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants/60697-life-cycle-scale.html


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Doug this will help identify the type of scale Bromeliad Biota - Pests - Scale Insects and for the species it may be, you can use the parasitic flies listed here UC IPM: UC Management Guidelines for Armored Scales on Avocado (which are also a food for the frogs). 

Ed


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

If you try the predatory insect solution, please track the progress for us. That would be really interesting to watch.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

I like the idea of using alcohol but I get the feeling they would still be there long after I sobered up.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Ugggh scale is a bitch. Try the predatory control, I wod also love to know how it goes. 

Then if that doesn't work definitely use the ethanol.

Thank your lucky stars it's not mealy. Id tell you to firebomb your Viv if it was


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## hornemadness (Aug 11, 2011)

In the past i have used Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, and its worked great for me. The only bad thing about them is that the larvae look like cottony cushion scale. They clean up the scale pretty nicely.


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## tahir tareen (Dec 17, 2009)

scale are horrible. I noticed some on a brom in my cristobal tank this week, after having scale do serious damage to my nepenthes collection this year im determined to combat it better. Im ordering some Cryptolaemus tomorrow, hope it works!


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

I will be honest with you... Throw those in the garbage. They are too infested and not worth the effort. 

In the future, do the bleach AND soapy water soaks before placing the broms in the viv. The only other issue is that they are probably hiding on/in your other plants.


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Thanks Antone,

It seemed very severe to me too, but I'm no expert and didn't want to say what you just did...


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

frogfreak said:


> Thanks Antone,
> 
> It seemed very severe to me too, but I'm no expert and didn't want to say what you just did...


I'm no expert either. Don't think you need to be for this one. Whew!!!


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

You could still use them as a source to culture some parasitic wasps to feed the frogs.. small frogs like them... Just don't order the ones that use flies as a host as some people have had them colonize thier fruit fly cultures with predictable results. 

Ed


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

ive seen this in a few broms. they went straight into the trash as anotone suggested. i dont have any particularly valuable broms though...

james


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Ed said:


> You could still use them as a source to culture some parasitic wasps to feed the frogs.. small frogs like them... Just don't order the ones that use flies as a host as some people have had them colonize thier fruit fly cultures with predictable results.
> 
> Ed


Yea do this! I'd really like to see it. So, umm, I guess do it for me, lol.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Frogtofall said:


> I will be honest with you... Throw those in the garbage. They are too infested and not worth the effort.
> 
> In the future, do the bleach AND soapy water soaks before placing the broms in the viv. The only other issue is that they are probably hiding on/in your other plants.


Thanks Antone, that is our plan now. Its funny how some broms in that viv are as bad as that one and others don't seem to have a single one. We lost our male a few months back in that viv so I think we are going to go with a full tear down. Thankfully, we don't see signs in any other viv. I have done bleach treatments but never bleach and soap. I ran across that in one of your posts while checking out the links people gave me. I'll begin doing that from here on out.
Thanks again.


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## Frogman955 (May 14, 2011)

I have just been cleaning some of my broms with this same scale, but I hadn`t noticed before that most of them were actually under the leaves.
On another forum I read that vinegar is good for removing scale so I tried that and it just literaly wipes them straight off.
I used a paper towel so that I could let most of what came off stick to it and make it easier to take out of the viv.
Apart from being careful about not getting vinegar onto the frogs is there any other reasons which would make its use a bad idea ?
My plan was to make it a routine to wipe them down in the infected viv until such time as I feel they have been mostly eradicated.
Also I have been at weekends using the hoover to suck out any flying ones which it would seem are the males.
They seem to only fly about in the viv when the lights are first switched on making it easy to suck them out.
Thanks in advance for any input.

Mike


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

Vinegar can be a pretty good weed killer... I don't know if I'd use it on my plants.


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## Frogman955 (May 14, 2011)

littlefrog said:


> Vinegar can be a pretty good weed killer... I don't know if I'd use it on my plants.


Hmmm thanks Littlefrog, I wasn`t aware of that.
Well tonight was the first time i`ve used it so i`ll keep close watch.
I did of course spray the broms with water to wash most of it off.
Worst scenario the viv in which I have the infestation i`ll bin the broms, but i`d rather try and beat the problem first rather than just give in.
Reading other threads on here has given me some good advice/ideas so i`m thinking now that i`ll give my unplanted broms a soapy bath just in case as a precation.
Many of my broms are mounted on loose peices of wood which if ever needed can be removed for treatment so this is something that may be worth considering for future brom mounting.
I will update the thread if and when I have any worthwhile answers as it seems i`m not alone in wanting to resolve the problem.

Mike


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## Frogman955 (May 14, 2011)

Just an update on my previous post.
So far there has been no sign of any ill effects after my using vinegar on the scale.
It probably helped that I sprayed the leaves down well after cleaning.
Also I have noticed a lack of flying scale insects after sucking the first lot out with the vacuum.

Mike


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