Scale & Flowers - The Ultimate Ick

Oh scale, how do I hate thee, let me count the ways...

Scale has got to be one of the worst bug infestations of all time! For one thing, they are just icky looking and are disgusting to pull off the plant. They look like they are from space and are pretty impossible to kill unless you have a canister of agent orange around somewhere.

I have scale on my very pretty shrubby bush that grows on a lattice and has great pink flowers that the hummingbirds love. It's been there for about 4 years now. Because of the scale it lives a little away from the rest of my plants, and I have had to break down and get some extra strength systemic bug killer that I slather on the plant every few months.

Even with all that, it just keeps it under control. I have had to sacrifice a few plants over the years and throw them away with their scaly infestation, but this one has survived.

I pick off the little buggers when they get big enough to see, but the crawling mobile stage that are white and powdery move around and I can't see them usually. Ick. I hate scale!!!

So, any pearls of wisdom, besides burning my plant? Let's hear them...