just dumped one of my most prized plant today. the damage was beyond saving. there were few scales on the trunk that i killed and there were what looked like egg cluster under the shell. thought about getting the tip cutting and saving it, but didn't know if that was worth the effort. 

did visual check on all my trees and this was the only one infected. not sure why. this tree was isolated from the others before putting into the garage for the winter. i would imaging it might have moved on to others by now. 

i might have to spray all my trees in the spring. dang it. 

Pete,
  Are you saying it was damaged beyond saving from the scale attack?  What makes you think it was damaged beyond saving? 
I picked up some trees in late 2012 that ended up being pretty heavily infested with scale.  I treated them (twice for good measure) and one of them ended up being my 2nd top producer in 2013.
Jim

the area right above the soil level has completely hollowed out dry. the plant was only about 5" tall. the damage was already done on those area along with female shells with eggs under them. way i see it i'll have to cut the top and reroot this. but it's one top cutting that is very thin and i don't think it will root too well. i don't think it's worth the time and attention it will need.

it seems to be infected heavily before, and i'd rather get rid of it then risk contamination to other figs.

going over visual inspection of remaining 72 trees wasn't fun.

i'll spray with soap on the rest of the trees when weather gets better.

this is a very common pest in Mediterranean, specially on fig trees. they are well accepted in fig owner's bible in Europe/Mediterranean countries. They are never a bother.
 

Where is love and compassion Pete. Would you shoot the dog if it got fleas? :)

hmm.. if i had 72 dogs and if that mutt was causing issue to rest.. might think about shooting it x) just ordered soap and pump sprayer. all the trees are getting visual inspection as soon as soap gets here. 

Pete,
  Maybe this tree will grow back from the roots...
  Did you happen to get any pictures?  I have one tree that has a similar "hollowed out dry" area just above he soil line on ones side (not all the way around). I think it also has it in one or two other places, too.  However, it hasn't had scales, at least in the 2 years I've had it.  Maybe there's something else going on besides scales.
Jim

There are a few treatments for scale here....

http://www.aos.org/Default.aspx?id=137

no pix. i already got rid of it. it's very regrettable. but it's done. saving tree is a good idea, but i don't want scales on other trees since none of the others have it. this one just gotta go. when soap and dump sprayer comes, all the trees will be treated every spring and every winter so i don't have to see the scales any more. 

Your a cold one Pete. What cultivar was it "Old Yeller"?

Pete, I had a Petite Nergri that had scale last year but it was the only one. I was able to pick them off and destroy.

What type of soap are you getting?

how about cutting all the top off, but one bud?  Oh Pete.  I am scared of these guys now..
sorry you have to dispose of it.

Sorry to hear that, Pete.
Hey, I might have an extra cutting of Nordland for you this spring. It's my backup in the fridge, and the two others that I started are looking good.
New dog for you, I'm putting your name on it.

I have never seen a scale do such a serious damage, seriously! There must be something else going on on that little guy

When treating scale I've had the best luck spraying with a mix of rubbing alcohol and water. Gets them all the first spray and kills the eggs. Works much better than soap. I don't remember the exact amount of alcohol to water but I learned about it on the forum. They always seem to come back with soap - sometimes I won't see one for months but finally they come back. Not with the alcohol and water, though.

right now, i don't see any scale after that one and a female with bunch of eggs under it. i'll treat them with soap first.. when the day temp goes up to 50 or so. then will treat them again when coming out of the garage. if i see it again, then i'll do alcohol solution. which one is better? jack or scotch? lately i've been leaning more toward jack. 

alcohol solution using 70% rubbing alcohol is 1:4 to 1:2. that seems like a lot of alcohol. 

Was it a Nordland?  Let us know.  I'm sure one of us can help you replace it.  I wouldn't dilute the rubbing alcohol at all.  It takes a minimum of 50% to kill mealy bugs and they don't have a shell.

I think spraying the whole plant with pure alcohol could kill the plant...

Oh, and Pete, I'd go with vodka.

not saying which one. but, i don't have rare figs and this one was rare.

Pete, I am puzzled.. couldn't you have cut up the top completely? Usually they send out more suckers from the bottom... hum, poor tree.

Scale is often found on Citrus trees and we've used alcohol successfully on ours.  I never knew scale is found on Figs too.  I'll have to go check all the trees.  Thanks for the alert.  Sorry you lost your tree.

Suzi

I'm reviving this old thread because I have a scale infestation on one of the figs rooted outdoors last fall that is being overwintered in-doors.  So far what I have done is to swab (with a q-tip) any evidence of insects with rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol.  However, after doing this once I looked a couple days later and saw one or two new mature scales.  So now I am thinking of spraying with isopropyl alcohol mixed with a bit of detergent as suggested in this link provided earlier in the thread:
http://www.aos.org/Default.aspx?id=137

However, that link is geared more toward orchids.  It doesn't state whether the alcohol is to be diluted with water at all.  There are comments elsewhere in thread about diluting the alchohol but no definitive dilution is provided that is known to kill the bugs but not harm the fig tissue.  Has anyone used this treatment successfully with figs and, if so, what dilution did you use?  Thanks!

Scale is a sucking insect. It will not cause bark damage or hollows in the wood. You may have scale, which is not uncommon on figs, but you another issue, too.