Dr. Doc.
I found these spots on all my chicks that otherwise look very healthy. Could you tell me what this is and what's causing it?
Thanks for your help!
Linda

Dr. Houseleeks, could it be that the hens have Chicken Pox.
Waiting to see the answer on this one.

Linda, Would you please post some additional pictures? I'm having some trouble getting a clear look at the problem. What I see makes me want to know if it could be scale, but it's really had to tell from the pictures. How large is the plant shown in the pictures?

Thanks.

Twit...they are 2" in diameter. What type of photo do you need? Not sure I can get any closer.

Silly Lynn...Silly Lynn...Silly Lynn

Sorry, I thought chicken pox sounded feasible.

Lynn, Maybe chicken pecks?

Linda, I would try a broad spectrum insecticide, such as Liquid Sevin, insecticidal soap, or pyrethrins with oil, a light coating and see if it helps. Just a guess here, as it looks like it could be scale. Again, the pics are hard for me to make out. Even at the same resolution, more pics might help. Try from different angles.

I could be completely wrong on this one - never have seen this before on semps. Still, the insecticides should not hurt and could help.

Take the tip of a knife and scrape the lesions. I would like to know if this is a lesion in the plant tissue or if something is on the leaf tht can be scraped off. Be gentle.

Good Morning...I took some more pics...hope these help.
Wanted to let you know that we had been without rain for about 8 weeks and it finally rained a nice shower a few days ago. I found these after the rain when I was checking the see how wet they were. They were wetter than I would have thought.

Scraped petal.


This is the same chick with a before and after scrape.


Lynn...it sure does look like a case of the "chick" pox.....

I just found lots of disease info here:

http://stalikez.info/fsm/semp/...

Oh, poor little hen.
Here is one of my S. 'Purdy's Big Red' that did the same things. It happened during our drought after I watered it from above. It was the only plant that did it thought, none of the others in the same bed did this. It has recovered and is growing well, but is scarred.

Ahhhhhh....so there's hope!

Great site Linda. I just added it to our Links section. I will have to read it all the way through later today.

Lynn, That site is a sub page of one of the sites you already have listed.

Linda, I still think this is the result of an insect feeding on the leaves of the plant. The lesions are the plant's reaction to the bite. During the dry spell, something was using the semps as a source of moisture. I still recommend an insecticide. This is not a 100% indication, but a best bet. The plant still looks basically healthy, but you should isolate it from other plants just in case it is contagious.

Always isolate plants you suspect may have a disease and be sure to disinfect hands, clothing and tools that may have come into contact with the plant. Wash the clothes and hands thoroughly. Disinfect tools with a chlorine-bleach based cleaner. Be sure to rinse disinfected tools thoroughly as most plants are highly sensitive to chlorine.

Thanks so much Doc!

Yes, it is twit, but I decided to make a separate link so it would be easy for some one researching this topic. I hope it's not to confusing?