Small white & tan shells attached to stems - Help ID?

I havent seen anything flying when I shake the plants, I see nothing crawling on them, and there is nothing caught in the sticky traps. I continue to find these very small "shells" attached to the stems of mainly the fan leaves. There is not really that many of them at one time, but if i crush the ones I see, a few days later i notice new ones. When you pinch them they crumble or break apart just like a very tiny snail shell. Anyone have any idea what this is?

I "had" a small issue with thrips, and sometimes think I am seeing some shiny spots on a few leaves. I know thrips bury eggs in the stem, but do they leave behind a casing when they hatch or anything?

Thanks

Here's one attached to the stem...

This is the best I could do through the microscope. Its a view from the bottom of it...

I have been watching these plants like a hawk and I have seen no further evidence of a pest. I am beginning to wonder if its something leeching out of the plant, like salt buildup, but I don't have much knowledge on that. The PPM's are about 700 and the plants are in DWC but have also noticed these on plants in the flood tables in the first 3 weeks which are at about 900 ppm.

I'm thinking scale. Was just reading about it recently and it looked like that. Sorry I don't have a link. Don't think I read it here, but I may have. Good luck. This post is relevant: https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/418188-black-stuff-my-plant.html

Thanks for the reply and I'm kinda with ya on the scale, but all the pictures i seen of scale looked more like a turtle shell. There may be different looking types that i am not aware of though, I would be glad to just figure out what it is no matter how bad lol!

Added a link above that has similar shell looking things. Here it is again: https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/418188-black-stuff-my-plant.html
post 14, Carl Spackler offers a "fix."

Thrips plant eggs in the leaves. Spray them with out direct light. Someone w/ better know how will come along.

I know this is old, but I have this going on now. Any ideas?

Still nothing, it gets no worse and I have noticed no ill effects on the plants. Weird...

I have the same things.....

found a few orange looking ones as well, but no bugs crawling anywhere.....none on sticky trap, and I've got mosquito dunks in my res since the start. (growing DWC).


fingers crossed, but I'd kinda hoped that someone would know whats going on.

I'm having same prob....any one know what they are?

I just took out a couple last night...lil round things..one did leave a dark brown spot with a lump on top os main stemp...other that that no creepy crawlers any were

ang body figure this out yet?

zero signs it effects plants but came after fish fertilizer aplication

So using kelp me and wholly mackeral from fox farms would do this? Just found about 15 of these. Cannot find any information.

Very old post but I'll chime in anyway. It may be sap/resin. If you do not have bugs or ill effects, I wouldn't worry about it at all.

Looks like your typical Scale...the bug is under the shell. Carefully scrape one off and look at it upside down with a scope or good magnifying glass. I raise orchids among other plant species and I've seen this all too many times. If allowed to fester they will multiply and they will affect your plants. Just wipe them off with your hands (finger nail) or a towel / rag. They're easily removed. No need to spray as it's relatively ineffective without high concentrations which almost always goof the plants up (that little shell protects them pretty good). Just take your time finding them and removing them. You should be good to go