Question
Hello Will, I just read a question/answer about an areca palm so wanted to ask you. I have a large parlor palm? (not sure exactly which kind) and this past week I spotted  mealybugs which I got rid of and took off leaves that had white spots from them. But many (and it seems to be growing) of the stems (mostly stems) sseem to have very tiny black lines - like the size of a very small ant. I rubbed some of them off this past week with a paper towel and sprayed with an organic soap produect.  there seem to be more of those lines and I just sprayed again. I don't want my other plants infected. What are those little lines (very tiny but dark and grouped together at some points). Should I throw away the plant? (which I hate to do). Thanks for your help, Susanne

Answer
Hi Susanne,

I have never seen anything on any Palm species that I would describe as tiny black lines. Scale insects are dark colored, slightly raised bumps, but they are oval shaped and scrape off easily with a fingernail.

A good photo might help me understand just what it is that you are seeing.

~Will Creed