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Scale on Massive Indoor Fig Tree: Hand-Clean or Systemic (If Commercial)

18-foot fig tree in an indoor garden dripped honeydew onto stairs and infested surrounding plants (bird of paradise, lily). Owner feared simple washing wouldn't suffice after long infestation.

Expert: Adult scales have waxy shells—soap barely penetrates. Crawlers are vulnerable. Options:

Hand-clean all surfaces with alcohol or insecticidal soap—repeated, laborious.
If commercial (interior plantscape): systemic imidacloprid (e.g., Merit) works—check label. See guide.

No home-use systemics. Quarantine new plants. Persistence wins.

Pests: Ming Tree (Polyscias) Sticky Leaves: Scale Insects; Fig Tree White Foam and Leaf Eating: NEEM Spray; Fungus on Fig Tree Trunk: Wood Decay Warning; Black Scaly Substance on Willow: Soft Scale Infestation; Fig Tree Pollination: The Wasp Question and Better Alternatives; Fig Tree Planting Guide for Alabama; Cottony Scale on Mimosa: Identification and Systemic Control; Scale Insects on Ficus Tree: Identification and Treatment; Growing a Brown Turkey Fig Over a Pergola in the UK; Chicago Fig Tree: Curling Leaves and Stalled Figs Likely Powdery Mildew

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