With governmental pro-insect limitations, you may want to try hopefully-legal paper masking tape wrapped around a smooth area of the trunk with the sticky side facing outward. One inch wide is OK, and the tape can be replaced when it is full of bugs or when it loses it's stickiness. I have been spraying masses of sucking aphids directly with a qt. spray bottle filled with 27 OZ of water and 5 OZ of Zep brand "heavy-duty citrus degreaser" sold in 1 gallon jugs at some home improvement stores for $12 or so. After the aphids are drenched and promptly soak up the stuff, they are non-responsive. After about 10 minutes, I use the garden hose to rinse the citrus mix and non-responsive bugs off the tender vegetation. Drenched ants, roaches, etc. will also have a similar result after a few minutes max. And they all smell very nice. I do use more than 5 OZ per quart when a quicker result is needed. When the citrus becomes off-limits, let us know and we may have some other ideas. Freedoms are a wonderful thing for responsible folk.

Nil 13, I have heard that one can use Forbid, Avid, and liquid Sevin on Ale mite.Then one can cut out the gall. The plant can live with the gall, unsightly as it is, and spreading its vermin to all aloes and some other species too. I discovered what looked like it on an Alionopsis malherbei. I threw my plant out immediately on discovery. The plant was growing and blooming nicely. Shame. Up to that point , I was aloe mite free. I do not see it anywhere, but that does not mean it is not here. It is the agave Mite that is really getting my goat and making me more worried.. In texas, we are behind you in the "new" succulent bugs. Agave bore is just making an appearance, Both Agave mite and Agave bore are being spread through thew trade. The nurseries here are being hit hard by the stock that comes from California and Arizona. It makes growing from seed so much more attractive, but god the time it takes to get a good sized plant. I am bearing down on my 6th decade. Nil, every time I see the MT Washington by your name I think of New Hampshire and one of my most favorite mountains, and I am confused when you talk of Californian plant problems. I guess there is another one in LA. Washington does seems to get around.

Usually simply repeated knocking the Aphids off a plant will eventually reduce the population, if done relatively often. Understanding a bit about how Aphids live can also help control them and mostly they are attracted to the lushest, greenest growth, that with high Nitrogen levels. Aphids give birth to live young, almost as soon as they are born, so if you knock a bunch off with a sharp stream of water and in a couple of days see more Aphids you are not seeing those you knocked off but another generation. Aphids have a life span of about 30 days, total, so those that get knocked off the plants will die before they figure out where they came from and how to get back there. An insecticidal soap should also work as well as the sharp spray of water, but no better, if real soap is used and the mix is 1 teaspoon of soap in 1 quart of water, about a 1 percent solution. More does nothing except waste your money and detergents do not work.

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.