Adult scale particularly pink scale are almost impossible to kill because their waxy coating prevents the white oil from penetrating. What you have to do is break the breeding cycle by spraying every 2-3 weeks to kill the emerging baby scale insects before they form the protective wax coating. The adult scale dies once it has bred and sporned its young so it is the young scale you target ie 2-3 weeks and after there are no signs of more young you keep spraying for at least another 3 week cycle to ensure you have got them all. One surviving scale insect will re-infest the plant. At the same time as spraying for scale kill the ants present as it is the ants which farm the scale for the sticky secretion exuded by the scale. Black sooty mold is another sign of scale as it is the secretion that causes sooty mold. The white oil will also kill the mold. A good alternative to control sooty mold is a tablespoon of LUX laundry flakes dissolved in half a bucket of hot water and then diluted down to make 20 litres of spray. Don't use more flakes than stated, it is unnecessary besides too much soap on your plants is not good for them. Lux beats detergent and cooking oil mixtures hands down and it will also control SOME of the soft scales and you don't need a space suit to spray it. If you use a lot of white oil try your local Ampol/Caltex bulk fuel depot for "Ampol DC-Tron Plus". A 20 litre drum here in Brisbane is about $80. DC Tron Plus is the same product as one of the major fertiliser suppliers sold in nurseries for about $15 for 500ml. The nursery branded product is bought from Ampol and repackaged under their own brand. Doug. Doug.

well, I am pretty sure that it is scale on my laurus nobilis. every spring the little white babies start crawling on the leaf veins, and I also have that black covering on the leaves. the old ones cover the branches. Very disgusting. I have read that ladybirds and lacewings are their predators, but have not seen them at work, even though I do have them in my garden. For now that is the most environment friendly solution I have thought about, but don't know if it works. All the proffessionals in the area wanted to give me a very toxic spray, but when they heard it was a tree, they said that every attempt will be futile. And I am not cutting it down :)

I would absolutely expect to see the spores that high....and higher. Just be grateful that the mulch is not used any where near your home, vehicles, outdoor furniture, etc. They stick like superglue. As Jean says, these interesting little fungi are not harmful but are natural decomposers. Look them up and then investigate the mulch because you just might find some of the tiny little cups. They actively feed on dead wood....wood chips, old unpainted timber, and the like.

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!