Olive Scale

[Curtainsforus]

We have had this for three years running and I am fed up with these little buggers.

What should I do to get rid of them? I've just sprayed the tree with a weak solution of Ecover washing up liquid, veg oil and water. (5ml oil and soap 1000ml warm water)
It's a small tree so I could pick the brown scales off with tweezers - will that make any difference - anything else I can do?

They’re well-defended against pesticide. If you can pick them off (fingers less fiddly than tweezers), do. You won’t get them all, so just regard it as a once or twice a year maintenance job. Meanwhile, make sure you give the plant the conditions it wants - healthy plants are less troubled by pests.

Thanks @MereDintofPandiculation I'm still a bit squeamish about touching them😳 - so the tweezers will help me distance myself.

A stiff toothbrush is useful when getting rid of the blighters.