scale on Agave
Quick answer
If your Agave has scale, the most likely cause is: Scale insects are sap-feeding pests whose brown or grayish-brown limpet-like females attach to the plant, suck sap, lay eggs and produce a sticky honeydew that weakens the agave over time; cactus-and-succulent references note that this pest is most often seen on agaves and opuntias compared with other cacti and succulents.
Start here:
- 1. Spray directly with a systemic insecticide that the pests will suck up from the plant tissue, since the hard shell-like coating makes contact sprays largely ineffective against scale.
- 2. Hand-remove accessible scales from the leaves with a soft brush or cotton swab dipped in methylated spirit, then follow up with a systemic drench to catch any crawlers that escaped.
Why Agave gets scale
Agave
Scale insects are sap-feeding pests whose brown or grayish-brown limpet-like females attach to the plant, suck sap, lay eggs and produce a sticky honeydew that weakens the agave over time; cactus-and-succulent references note that this pest is most often seen on agaves and opuntias compared with other cacti and succulents.
How to reverse scale on Agave
- 1
Spray directly with a systemic insecticide that the pests will suck up from the plant tissue, since the hard shell-like coating makes contact sprays largely ineffective against scale.
- 2
Hand-remove accessible scales from the leaves with a soft brush or cotton swab dipped in methylated spirit, then follow up with a systemic drench to catch any crawlers that escaped.
- 3
Quarantine any newly purchased agave for several weeks and inspect the leaf axils and undersides before placing it near an existing collection, because scale rides in on new plants.
Keep scale off this Agave
Keep agaves well-ventilated and spaced apart in full sun, inspect new plants before adding them to the collection, and maintain plant vigour with sparing water and low-nitrogen feed so soft new growth — which scale prefers — does not develop.