Last year I found a few of these but didn't think much of it. This year when I was trimming back my passion fruit I found literally thousands of them. They are probably about 1mm-5mm in diameter and are hard. If they break it looks like blood is inside of them. Please help! TIA
What are these weird things on all over my passion fruit?
- Thread starter socalgardener
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Greetings, welcome to the Forums.
This a scale insect (Coccomorpha) in the genus Ceroplastes. The two most likely species on Passionflower (Passiflora) are Tortoise Wax Scale (Ceroplastes cistudiformis) or Barnacle scale (Ceroplastes cirripediformis). There are other similar species such as Chinese wax Scale (Ceroplastes sinensis) but I have not found a record of that species parasitizing Passiflora, but there is always a first time.
In any case, you should spray the plant with an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. You can also scrape off as many Scale as possible with a dull tool. This won't get them all but it will help to immediately reduce numbers and their stress on the plant.
Repeat both steps as needed until the infestation is eliminated.
This a scale insect (Coccomorpha) in the genus Ceroplastes. The two most likely species on Passionflower (Passiflora) are Tortoise Wax Scale (Ceroplastes cistudiformis) or Barnacle scale (Ceroplastes cirripediformis). There are other similar species such as Chinese wax Scale (Ceroplastes sinensis) but I have not found a record of that species parasitizing Passiflora, but there is always a first time.
In any case, you should spray the plant with an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. You can also scrape off as many Scale as possible with a dull tool. This won't get them all but it will help to immediately reduce numbers and their stress on the plant.
Repeat both steps as needed until the infestation is eliminated.