Scale On Snake Plants [Identity, Prevent And Treatment]

But every time, all of these steps don’t work properly, like using the same method every time to remove the scale on snake plants.

Before Familiarise With Scale Insecticides, Let’s Know About Snake Plants

Snake plants are very popular indoor plants. People like this plant to decorate their houses because of its hardiness and air-purifying qualities. Also, they can thrive in indirect sunlight. The place of origin of this plant is West Africa, but now they have made their homes worldwide. 

The scientific name of the snake plant is Sansevieria trifasciata. They are also known as ‘mother-in-law’s tongues.’ Because the plant’s leaves are as sharp as a tongue. Snake plants are very popular indoor plants, but also snake plants toxic to birds and other animals. These plants grow flowers and fruit.

If you ask, is snake plant fruit edible or not? Then, the answer is no. Snake plant fruit is not edible. Some good qualities of snake plants separate these plants from others.

• Easygoing watering: snake plants don’t need a lot of water. They can survive in less water or in dry conditions. You can just water and report the snake plant and it will thrive on its own.
• Thrive in low light conditions: They’re happy with not too much direct sunlight. They can live in a darker corner. Actually, they can thrive on indirect light. Snake plants can thrive even in low light.
• Beautiful patterns: Some snake plants have beautiful designs on their leaves. It makes them stylish and eye-catching.
• Air cleaning process: They are excellent air purifiers. These entire plants can filter and cleanse indoor air by removing toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene, and other harmful pollutants. This air-purifying quality makes snake plants a valuable addition to homes and offices, contributing to a healthier living environment.
• Unique looks: The length of leaves is around 6 centimeters to 3 feet. Upright leaves stand tall and give the room a unique touch.
• Good for beginners: If you are new to plants, snake plants are a great starting point. They are easy to grow and easy to take care of.

So, you can say it’s a good choice to plant snake plants at home. But sometimes, it’s infected by scale insecticides.

What Are Scales On Snake Plants And How Does It Work?

Scale insects on snake plants are mainly an infestation of scale insects, which look like small brown spot and they typically suck the plant’s sap. Scales on snake plants are pests that harm these houseplants. Spider mites are tiny pests that can infest snake plants. They are tiny and shield-shaped bugs. 

They attach themselves to the plants, feeding on their sap and causing damage. They look like raised bumps. These bugs cause yellowing and wilting of leaves. Gradually, it spread out all over the leaves. 

Scale insects can attack snake plant leaves at various times, but they often become more problematic in warm and dry conditions. These common pests are more active at the low humidity level and infect the snake plant rapidly. These indoor plants can be more vulnerable if they are placed where airflow is imbalanced. Overwatering can also increase the scale of infestations.

Different Types Of Scale On Snake Plants

Do you know what are snake scales and how do snake scales work? Many types of scale can affect the snake plants, but these 2 types are very common:

• 1. Hard scale
• 2. Soft scale.

Hard scale: these types of scales have very tough, protective covering shields that make them challenging to control.

There are several hard scales; 

An example of a hard scale is the Oystershell Scale. These scales have a distinct oyster-shaped, hard covering that adheres tightly to the plant surface.

Soft scale: These scales are further classified into two types:

• Soft Brown Scale: These scale insects on snake plants have a softer, less protective covering. They may be and are relatively easier to manage.
• Soft Wax Scale: They have a waxy, soft, and less protective covering. These scales often become white or light-colored. It said, white scale on snake plant.

An example of a soft scale on a snake plant is Coccus hesperidum. These are comparatively easy to control.

How to Identify Scale Infestation on Snake Plants?

Hearing the name of snake plants, maybe someone can think snake plants attack snakes. But it’s not right. On the other hand, snake plants are affected by scales and other infests. 

Here, a question arises: how can we Identify scale infestation on snake plants that grow in rocky soil? Now, Let’s talk about this topic.

There are some techniques to identify scale on snake plants like-

1. Discoloration of leaves: Look for small, raised bumps on the leaves. Scales often show tiny bumps and discolorations on the plant surface.
2. Unusual growth of plants: If any unusual growth or wilting and yellowing leaves are found on the snake plants leaves
3. Directly check the leaves: Scales on cylindrical snake plants typically infect the leaves of the plants. So you should check the leaves carefully, and you might find some scale bugs. You can use a magnifying glass, which will make the process easy.

These are not the only ways to identify the scale infestation; feel free to use any other strategies for getting this.

Though snake plants are beautiful indoor plants, they contain toxic substances like saponins. So, Snake plants toxic to rabbits and other animals. 

Impact Of Scale Infestation On Snake Plants

I already described what is scale on snake plants and how it works. You know that most insecticides are harmful to plants, and their impacts are not good for their life. Snake plants are also not out of them. Scale insecticides have some bad impacts on snake plant life. It gradually covers the leaves of the plants. Scale infestations on snake plants can have several negative impacts:

• Lack of nutrition: Scale insects absorb the sap of plants. It causes less nutrition.
• Reduce photosynthesis: The scale of leaves can interfere with the ability of the plants, like it can reduce the overall photosynthesis of the plants.
• Spread out the problem: Scale on snake plants has the power of spreading out by itself. It can infect the good leaves around it. So that, if possible, we should isolate the infected leaves or plants.
• Weakened plant health: Scales drain the vital nutrition out of snake plants. As a result the overall health of snake plants gradually weakened. This is one of the major causes of the unhealthy appearance of snake plants.
• Yellowing and wilting of the leaves: The infested leaves with scales may start to become yellow and eventually wilt. This is a very common sign of snake scale problems.

Scales start their activity by causing nutritional imbalance. Additionally, they distort the beauty of the snake plants. They don’t need bright light. On the other hand, after being affected by the scales, snake plants cannot purify the indoor air effectively.

What will you do in this situation? Maybe you will look for the solution to scale problems on snake plants.

How To Get Rid Of The Scale On Snake Plants?

Snake plant leaves can be affected by many diseases. But scale on snake plant leaves is a very common problem and these scales may appear the maximum damage of snake plant.

Some proven methods are given below to get rid of the scale on snake plants.

Firstly,

You have to isolate the infested plants. If you remove the affected snake plant from other good plants, then it won’t be able to spread out.

Secondly,

Manually we can remove scales from the leaves using a soft brush, cloth, or cotton rubbing in alcohol. We have to do it very carefully so that we can avoid damaging the plants.

Thirdly,

You can use insecticidal soap or oil to prevent the scales on snake plants. Applying insecticidal soap or neem oil to the affected areas can suffocate and kill the scales. 

You can prepare the insecticidal soap by following this procedure-

• Step1: Get a liter of water in a bottle.
• Step2: Get some soap, crush them and mix along with the water.
• Step3: Shake the bottle well and the insecticidal soap is ready to use.
• Step4: Apply it on the plant.

And finally, you can use chemical spray to remove the scales on snake plants. You should properly maintain scale on snake plant watering.

Mix neem oil with the water and spray on the scales properly. It is a very popular method for the treatment of the scale of snake plants.

And finally, we can do pruning for the scales on snake plants treatment. Removing a selective part of a plant is called pruning.

All the processes described before are very effective ways to get rid of scales on snake plants. You can follow any of them to remove scale insecticides.

How To Prevent Scale Infestations On Snake Plants?

It’s saying that

“Prevention is better than cure.”

That’s why learning how to prevent scale on snake plants is important. let’s get to know how we can prevent scale infestation in snake plants and take care of our plants. 

In several ways of preventing scales on snake plants, I will describe the most effective and proven process-

• You have to regularly inspect the leaves of our snake plants and wipe them down with a damp cloth to remove any dust or pests from the snake plants. It helps to prevent scale infestation on snake plants.
• If we apply some natural predators like neem oil, insecticidal soap, or horticultural oil to the snake after a few days/week of interval then scale infestation cannot harm the plants. 
• There are also some effective ways like quarantining new plants, maintaining proper watering of the snake plants , using well-draining soil to prevent waterlogging so that excessive moisture can be created, ensuring good air circulation around the snake plants, and inspecting thoroughly every day.

Remember to be consistent with these practices every day, and can create an environment naturally that discourages scale infestations and helps the overall well-being of the snake plants.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Conclusion

You can say dealing with scale on snake plants requires a vigilant approach that encompasses identification, prevention, and effective treatment.  In this article, you have explored how scale insecticides affect snake plants. Additionally, the impacts of tiny pests of scale on snake plants. Root rot is a common disease that can affect snake plants.