Brunnings White Oil Aerosol 400g – Scale & Insect Spray for Citrus, Roses & Ornamentals

Brunnings White Oil Aerosol 400g: Scale & Insect Spray for Citrus, Roses & Ornamentals

Brunnings White Oil is a ready-to-use aerosol spray that kills scale on citrus, shrubs, roses and ornamentals, and controls a wide range of other garden insects. There's no mixing or measuring, you shake the can and spray, which makes it one of the easiest options for spot-treating pests around the home garden. It doubles as a leaf gloss for indoor plants.

What It Controls

White oil treats aphids, mealy bugs, red and white wax scale and certain other scales (though not San Jose scale), sooty mould, spider mites, white fly and white louse, on citrus, roses, shrubs and ornamentals.

How White Oil Works

White oil isn't a conventional poison. It works physically, by coating the insect in a fine film of oil that blocks the breathing pores it uses to take in air, so the pest suffocates. That has one important practical consequence: coverage is everything. Any insect the spray doesn't physically touch won't be affected, so you need to spray thoroughly, including the undersides of leaves, along stems and into leaf joints where scale and mealy bug shelter. A quick misting over the top of the plant won't do the job.

The upside of that mode of action is that pests can't build resistance to being suffocated the way they can to chemical insecticides.

How to Use

Shake the can well before using. Hold it at least 15 cm from the plant and spray lightly onto the affected foliage, making sure all areas are covered. When spraying, move in a sweeping motion, aiming to cover about 1 metre every 5 seconds. For leaf gloss on indoor plants, simply spray lightly over the foliage you want polished.

Scale in particular is worth checking a week or two later and re-treating if needed, as heavy infestations often need a follow-up.

Important: When Not to Spray

White oil is easy to use but it has some genuine restrictions, and ignoring them is the most common reason people end up with burnt leaves:

• Do not spray in hot or windy conditions, and not in the heat of the day. Oil on foliage in high temperatures will burn leaves. Spray in the early morning or evening on a mild day.

• Do not use until 4 weeks after a sulphur spray. Oil and sulphur together cause severe plant damage.

• Avoid spraying directly onto palms or flowers.

• Do not use on citrus trees in late autumn or winter.

• Do not spray outdoors if rain is expected within 24 hours.

• Edible crops: do not pick for 1 day after spraying, and do not apply later than 1 day before harvest.

If you're unsure about a particular plant, test a small area first and check it a few days later before treating the whole plant.

Safety & Storage

Do not spray directly on people, exposed food or food utensils. Keep it out of drains, sewers, streams and ponds. Wear gloves and eye protection when handling. Store in a cool place out of the sun, do not store above 50°C, and do not puncture or incinerate the can, even when empty. Keep out of reach of children. Always read the label before use.

Key Features & Benefits

• Ready-to-use aerosol, no mixing or measuring

• Kills scale on citrus, shrubs, roses and ornamentals

• Controls aphids, mealy bugs, spider mites, white fly and sooty mould

• Works by suffocation, so pests can't develop resistance

• Can be applied year round (outside of the restrictions above)

• Also ideal as a leaf gloss for indoor plants

• Convenient 400g aerosol can

Frequently Asked Questions

How much white oil do I use per litre of water?
None, this is a ready-to-use aerosol, so there's no mixing involved. You just shake the can and spray directly onto the plant. Mixing rates apply to white oil concentrates, which are a different product.

How does white oil work?
It coats insects in a fine film of oil that blocks their breathing pores, so they suffocate. Because it works on contact, thorough coverage is essential, particularly on the undersides of leaves and in leaf joints where scale and mealy bug hide.

What plants don't like white oil?
Avoid spraying directly onto palms and onto flowers. It also shouldn't be used on citrus trees in late autumn or winter. More broadly, any plant is at risk of leaf burn if oil is applied in hot conditions, so if you're unsure, test a small area first.

Can I use it in summer?
Yes, but not in the heat of the day and not in hot or windy conditions, as oil on leaves in high temperatures causes burn. Spray early morning or in the evening on a mild day.

Why can't I use it after a sulphur spray?
Oil and sulphur react badly together on plants and can cause severe damage. Leave at least 4 weeks between a sulphur spray and a white oil application.

Is white oil better than pyrethrum?
They do different jobs. White oil suffocates pests physically and is particularly good on scale, mealy bug and other sap-suckers that sit still on the plant. Pyrethrum is a fast knockdown insecticide better suited to mobile chewing and flying insects. Many gardeners keep both.

Can I use it on fruit and vegetables?
Yes, following the label. Don't pick edible crops for 1 day after spraying, and don't spray later than 1 day before harvest.

Can I really use it as a leaf gloss?
Yes. Spraying lightly over indoor plant foliage leaves a clean, glossy finish, which is why it's a favourite for indoor plants as well as pest control.