So you have little round black things in the leaves and stems of your lilly pilly and they’re increasing in numbers. You can scratch them off with your nail but there are too many to get off like this, and they are quite gooey underneath that top outer ’shell’. What are they and how can you get rid of them?

 

These armoured little insects are called scale. They are clever little sap-sucking insects that cover themselves with a shield or shell to prevent predators (and us) getting at them. There are two basic types; hard and soft scales. They sometimes go hand in hand with ants as they secrete a sticky substance called honey-dew which is a great growing media for sooty mould that the ants just love.  The plants don't love it so much because all that black stuff covers precious leaves, impairing photosynthesis. You’ll find scale on shrubs or trees which are thirsty or stressed, it can be white and puffy or thin and brown as there are many types.

 

An organic control would be to use eco-oil or to scrub them off with a soapy scrubbing brush. You can also use white oil which is petroleum based.