What are these things on my palm tree?

March 17, 2013 9:36 AM

My palm tree has barnacles. What should I do?

The stem of my palm tree has something that looks like barnacles on it. I've treated it with insect spray, and am tempted to scratch them off. What are they, are they dangerous to the tree, and how should I treat them and prevent them coming back?

posted by devnull to Home & Garden (2 answers total)

Best answer: They are called scale and can be treated by putting horticulture oil on the affected areas.

About horticultural oil.
posted by sciencegeek at 9:39 AM on March 17, 2013

Best answer: Yeah, I used to use this stuff on the scale on my palm tree. Dilute your equivalent to the manufacturers instructions then use a cloth to wipe off the scale insects while also coating the stems and undersides of the leaves of the plant. Wiping works a lot better than spraying in my experience (and my indoor palm was nearly as tall as I was before I sold it).
posted by shelleycat at 9:54 AM on March 17, 2013