This is from the same site as the home remedy post. This is natural insect control. It's really great information.

www.ghorganics.com/page9.html

Thank you for sharing, Lance. This really is an amazing site.

One bug I haven't been able to find on this site is *scale*. Do you know if it is referred to by another name?

Hi Leslie,
I just tried to find "scale insect" on the internet. I didn't find out if they went by any other name. I did find something interesting though.....There are roughly 8,000 species of scale insects. haha
Sorry.

Ohhhh Great! :S Only 8000 species, huh? Do you happen to have a link to where you found that info on scale? Pleeeze?
Thank you for checking for me.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_insect
www.greenharvest.com.au/pestcontrol/scale_info.html

I bought a hibiscus for $4.00 at Meijer because they were having a sale on all of their outdoor stuff. I slip-potted it into a larger ceramic pot that will be able to keep the roots unfrozen over the winter. When I did, I noticed an infestation of woodlice, but I was potting it into diatomaceous earth so I didn't think much of it. Unfortunately, that didn't slow them down, and they are now happily crawling around inside the pot. Maybe it's because I didn't clear out the old soil, or because I didn't use a 100% DE mix, but I'm a bit worried about how the plant is going to fare over the winter. Are they feeding on the roots, or the pine bark it was originally potted in? I know they aren't always dangerous, but will my plant be ok? And if not, what should I do? Fall is here in full force, and I don't want to disturb the hibiscus unless I absolutely have to.

Hi Hannah,

Here is a link to Wikipedia re: woodlouse you might find helpful...is this the critter? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_lice#Further_reading It says that it will chew on young plants but not usually mature ones and says nothing about the roots. Just that they like damp places.

I would definitely take it out of it's pot and thoroughly rinse all the old dirt (and critters) out of the roots. Check for them on the plant as well. Once you are sure the plant and roots are completely free of them, repot it into a clean pot with new soil...the DE with a bit of organic such as compost is fine.

I don't know how to kill these guys other than squishing them and I've never tried an insecticide on them so, seeing there are so many perhaps keeping them contained in the old pot with the old soil then dumping the pot contents some place in the woods...well away from your house.

Hope this helps...Hibiscus are so beautiful!

hi hannah,

These little animals shouldn't really hamper your plants. I have them in most of my outdoor pots, and never had trouble loosing plants over them.. Personally I don't worry about them.They CAN damage roots etc, when no dead organic material is around though

Awesome link Pinkham! Thanks man!

Hannah,
The plant will be okay until next spring. when you re-pot it, next spring right before bud break... Make sure you get all of the old soil out of it and cut off the dead roots. Clean the pot and re-pot it in fresh soil. That will get rid of them.
post a picture of it