7944View count
3m 25sLength in seconds

Bugs have been spotted on this bay tree, it looks like scale insect These are sap sucking insects a large infestation of which can weaken a plant. They secrete honeydew and this makes the leaves sticky and encourages sooty mold. the best time to spray with an insecticide is when the young are crawling for this you need a hand lens t be able to spot them in late spring early summer. Spray twice with a two week gap. If you want to avoid spraying as here where the bay leaves may be used for cooking try washing them off with a soapy solution or a toothbrush dipped in the solution or in methylated spirits or surgical spirit as you would for mealy bugs. Scale are a more usually a problem on house plants and greenhouse plants.