How to Remove Scale Insects From Passion Flowers

Overview

Passion flowers are not just beautiful ornamentals but also medicinal herbs with a number of healing properties. Though uncommonly beautiful and beneficial, passion flowers are susceptible to infestation by scale insects. At first glance, gardeners often mistake scale insects for growths on the underside of their passion flower's foliage. Once situated, adult scale insects do not move. And that's good news for gardeners because it makes them exceedingly easy to remove by hand.

Step 1

Prune off all heavily infested leaves or plant material.

Step 2

Brush scales off essential plant material with your hand. If they are stubbornly attached, scrape them off with your thumbnail or a knife. Deposit removed scale insects in a paper bag.

Step 3

Move all removed scales and infested plant material from the area. Either burn the insects and material or douse them in oil (which smothers the bugs) and wrap them in plastic before throwing them away. Do not compost the infested plant material.

Step 4

Trap scale insects in their mobile, crawler or nymph stage. Wrap black electrical tape, sticky side out, wherever you have noticed their activity. As they crawl over the electrical tape, they will get stuck. Then simply cut the tape off to remove the bugs.