Another good product is 'Ultra-Fine' available at most hardware and home improvement centers. It is a solution made of emulsified parafin that mixes with water and can be used anytime, at any temperature. Sprayed on the bottom of the leaves, it suffocates the bugs. It is not a pesticide chemical, so it is environmentally friendly, you could fry an egg in it.

Those scale insects can be tough -- we have them in abundance here on the gulf coast where it is warm and humid. To defeat a severe infestation try mixing some malathion with Ultra-Fine (a water soluble paraffin wax) which is available at any garden center. Spray the underside of the affected leaves thoroughly, and repeat every two weeks until the infestation is gone. Ultra Fine is different from horticultural oil, it can be sprayed even during the warm growing season (whereas the oil can only be used in dormant season). Once the infestation is cleared up, a regular spray of Ultra-Fine only should generally keep them in check in the future. Good luck!

I agree with all of you: they're definitely Hollywood Regency. And I should recharacterize my own style, which is probably better said to be "*in* transition" rather than transitional. (: I do like clean-lined pieces, and our DR set is very Mission; the adjacent LR combines Mission and Art Deco; and our bedroom, where these chairs would go, is your basic Recovering Graduate Student/Random Wedding Present room. So funky/eclectic would fit in just fine there. And there's just something about these chairs... The room is a long rectangle. The half without windows is for the bed (not a bed per se, but rather mattresses on a metal frame) and the dressers, which are mismatched yard sale finds. On the other side of the room, I'd like to create a sitting/reading area next to the windows, with a gorgeous view of the mountains (by far the nicest thing about the room!). We got a red and tan handloomed Peruvian folk-art rug for our wedding, and that's what we'll use to set off the seating area. Also on that side of the room, framing one window, are some slender dark walnut modern-styled bookcases. And then the part I'd like to replace: a heinously ugly loveseat that a friend gave us, also on that side of the room. I'd much rather find some reading chairs and an ottoman than a loveseat anyway; the room's not that big, and the loveseat makes it a pain to open and close the curtains and shades. I agree these chairs don't look too comfortable, so they're probably not my ideal reading chairs. But they'd be good for draping the bathrobe or pulling into the LR for extra seating. I love the idea of velvet, and maybe even the box-pleated skirt -- hadn't thought of that, cool idea, thank you! I agree that they're great in a pattern, but I don't want lots of patterns clashing in my bedroom, I don't think. What would you think of a tan velvet on the back and the bottom of the seat, and then the top, round seat cushion in something like this: Here is a link that might be useful: I'd use this pillow cover to reupholster the seat...

I tried the alcohol and they didn't come off. Maybe it is damage from the sun. It's been extremely hot lately and the rose lost most of its leaves. I moved the rose today to a better location. It used to be in front of my house, where shade cloth is not allowed by my HOA. Hopefully, it will leaf out again. Thank you all for your help. If I ever do see scale, I'll know what to do :) Irisgal, I'm not sure why the new cane has such small thorns below, but there are larger ones further up.