Try a solution of 40 parts water, 8 parts rubbing alcohol and 1 part dish soap......spray this on the scales......wash off the dead scales the next day with a garden hose.....

the other insecticides you are using will not get through their protective coat, but the alcohol in the above solution will.

Ian

ahhhh, yes alcohol will dry them up. i'm on a mission. thank you!!!!!

The labels of a couple of different products containing Neem oil lists scale as one of the targets that they will control, so if what you used lists scale on the lable it probably will control them.
The rubbing alcohol sprays may sometimes work, if the scale saturates the scales protective cover, but often those sprays do more harm to plants then the target insect.

ok. the neem oil didn't work. i started with that and they are still there. ewwwww. they are so gross. now i have garden safe spray with pyrethrin (again i'm not sure how to spell) and there's the alcohol mix. which should i try next?

i didn't get to use either yesterday or today because we've had persistent rains.

taz, does that mean they will die eventually from starving from my spraying neem oil?

Here is some info on oil sprays.

Ian

Here is a link that might be useful: Horticultural oil

Neem Oil sprays act as an anti feedant on scales, as I understand it, so there is no immediate kill after application and it may take several days for the wee buggers to die of starvation. A more common method of control of scale is spraying them with horticultural oils which suffocate them, again not something that will give an immediate kill.

Yes it should eventually starve. This could happen in 2 different ways. It will either not feed because the neem doesn't taste good and/or because it messes with their heads and they forget to eat.

ohhh, i see. i forgot that neem oil kept them from feeding. it's been a while since i've had pests to contend with. my luck has run out.