Scale insects are nasty little plant suckers that are relatively common among indoor and outdoor plants and trees. They are also hard to spot and suck the sap from plants, eventually taking away all of the essential nutrients plants need to survive.
The bugs don’t just suck the life from plants, they also spread disease similar to spider mites, these bugs prefer warm, dry conditions, which is why they’re so common in indoor houseplants.
There are three main types of scale bugs, including those with hard and soft carapaces, and mealybugs. All scales are tiny, oval in shape, and tend to be brown in color. Signs that you have an infestation include yellowing leaves on your plants, dying branches and falling twigs, and no new growth on plants.
Some ways you can get rid of them include using sticky traps, relocate or remove infected plants, prune plant material, and introduce or encourage predator insects for outdoor plants.