Scale insects

Identification :

They look like brown small balls attached to the stem. They are a bit difficult to control due to their protective wax covering over their body.

Symptoms :

These thrive as a colony and usually attacks Hibiscus plants. The plant will look like it is drying.

Managing the Pest :
First scrap out these insects from the stem of the plant or wherever it is visible. Then create a Neem oil emulsion with 2.5 -3 ml Neem oil in 1 ltr soap nut water .
Soap nut is Boondhi Kottai in Tamil. Dip a tooth brush and brush off the affected stems. Badly infested branches can be removed. If you ignore it for a long time, it will spread fast and kill the plant.