Hi Jane, That's too bad about your special plant. Here's hoping it recovers. A few years ago, I bought Bonide insecticidal soap to use in the house. Active ingredient was potassium salts of fatty acids. "Ideal for organic gardeners." Milder than what you're talking about. For 3 years now, my plants have been sprayed with Safer's 3-in-1 product - fungicide, insecticide, and miticide, suitable for organic growing. Works for me. Just yesterday, I ordered the 32-oz. concentrate. I use it in the bathroom with the critters shut out. My super-duper awesome ammo, though is 1600 X-Clude. Main ingredient is microencapsulated natural pyrethrum, from chrysanthemums. This year will be the 4th that I've used it. The label says you can use it inside, but a commercial grower who uses it advised against that. The aroma is strong, and I wouldn't use it in the house, even if there weren't critters around. Well, if I could aim fans out the window, close the door, and shove towels underneath. In late summer/early fall, about when you'd be bringing plants inside that have been outside all summer, you spray plants five days apart, 2 sprayings total. Online prices vary wildly, if you decide to check it out. If you go with it, let me know, cuz there are some specific instructions for it to be the most effective. http://www.ghorganics.com/XClude1600.html Here is a link that might be useful: Safer 3-in-1 plant spray

This is a wax scale, a common pest of holly and many other plants. They also have red 'guts'. These will be very difficult to control....perhaps you should contact your extension office for some assistance with this problem.

Scale is one of those insect pests that really should be treated. They can seriously weaken a tree and they easily migrate to other plants. If it is a hard shelled scale, spraying with dormant oil won't have much of an impact - that shelled surface makes them pretty much impervious to the spray. It is best to treat these when they are in a far more vulnerable instar stage. And to know when that is, you need to identify the kind of scale - there are dozens. Check to see if these have a hard shell and then post clear, close up photos for an ID. If a soft bodied scale, the dormant oil should work well.

I haven't posted on this forum for a long time but did have experience with scale on an Adenium that was gifted to me. The previous owner couldn't get rid of the scale so she gave it to me instead (I told her I'd try to save it). I did use rubbing alcohol with a cotton swab to remove any visible scales. But as Rick said, it is not a cure. More soon emerged and I went the insecticide route. I use Bayer's Advanced 3-in-1 Insect, Disease, and Mite Control. You can use the ready-spray version or buy the concentrate and dilute it yourself. I sprayed it 3 times, 10 days apart. Make sure to coat the top and bottom layer of the leaves plus the trunk. The scales had never come back and it has been 3 years. Good luck to you!