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Pests
Scale Insects on Passion Fruit Vines
Commonly affects: Passiflora edulis (Passion Fruit)
Small, immobile brown or grey bumps attach to stems and leaf undersides, secreting honeydew and weakening the vine over time.
Potential Causes
- 1Scale insects establishing on stems and leaf undersides, feeding on sap
- 2Ants farming scale for honeydew
- 3Stressed or crowded vines being more susceptible
Solution Steps
- 1Scrape off visible scale by hand or with a soft brush for light infestations
- 2Apply horticultural oil to smother scale, covering stems and leaf undersides thoroughly
- 3Prune out heavily infested stems
- 4Introduce parasitic wasps or ladybugs for biological control
Prevention Tip
Horticultural oil applied thoroughly to stems is the most effective home treatment, since scale's waxy coating resists many sprays.
