diff --git a/backend/src/index.ts b/backend/src/index.ts
index 931374ab..178c3a65 100755
--- a/backend/src/index.ts
+++ b/backend/src/index.ts
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ import tasksRoutes from './routes/tasks';
 import workerRegistryRoutes from './routes/worker-registry';
 // Per TASK_WORKFLOW_2024-12-10.md: Raw payload access API
 import payloadsRoutes from './routes/payloads';
+import k8sRoutes from './routes/k8s';
 
 // Mark requests from trusted domains (cannaiq.co, findagram.co, findadispo.com)
 // These domains can access the API without authentication
@@ -230,6 +231,10 @@ console.log('[WorkerRegistry] Routes registered at /api/worker-registry');
 app.use('/api/payloads', payloadsRoutes);
 console.log('[Payloads] Routes registered at /api/payloads');
 
+// K8s control routes - worker scaling from admin UI
+app.use('/api/k8s', k8sRoutes);
+console.log('[K8s] Routes registered at /api/k8s');
+
 // Phase 3: Analytics V2 - Enhanced analytics with rec/med state segmentation
 try {
   const analyticsV2Router = createAnalyticsV2Router(getPool());
diff --git a/backend/src/routes/k8s.ts b/backend/src/routes/k8s.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..db6348dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/routes/k8s.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+/**
+ * Kubernetes Control Routes
+ *
+ * Provides admin UI control over k8s resources like worker scaling.
+ * Uses in-cluster config when running in k8s, or kubeconfig locally.
+ */
+
+import { Router, Request, Response } from 'express';
+import * as k8s from '@kubernetes/client-node';
+
+const router = Router();
+
+// K8s client setup - lazy initialization
+let appsApi: k8s.AppsV1Api | null = null;
+let k8sError: string | null = null;
+
+function getK8sClient(): k8s.AppsV1Api | null {
+  if (appsApi) return appsApi;
+  if (k8sError) return null;
+
+  try {
+    const kc = new k8s.KubeConfig();
+
+    // Try in-cluster config first (when running in k8s)
+    try {
+      kc.loadFromCluster();
+      console.log('[K8s] Loaded in-cluster config');
+    } catch {
+      // Fall back to default kubeconfig (local dev)
+      try {
+        kc.loadFromDefault();
+        console.log('[K8s] Loaded default kubeconfig');
+      } catch (e) {
+        k8sError = 'No k8s config available';
+        console.log('[K8s] No config available - k8s routes disabled');
+        return null;
+      }
+    }
+
+    appsApi = kc.makeApiClient(k8s.AppsV1Api);
+    return appsApi;
+  } catch (e: any) {
+    k8sError = e.message;
+    console.error('[K8s] Failed to initialize client:', e.message);
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+const NAMESPACE = process.env.K8S_NAMESPACE || 'dispensary-scraper';
+const WORKER_DEPLOYMENT = 'scraper-worker';
+
+/**
+ * GET /api/k8s/workers
+ * Get current worker deployment status
+ */
+router.get('/workers', async (_req: Request, res: Response) => {
+  const client = getK8sClient();
+
+  if (!client) {
+    return res.json({
+      success: true,
+      available: false,
+      error: k8sError || 'K8s not available',
+      replicas: 0,
+      readyReplicas: 0,
+    });
+  }
+
+  try {
+    const deployment = await client.readNamespacedDeployment({
+      name: WORKER_DEPLOYMENT,
+      namespace: NAMESPACE,
+    });
+
+    res.json({
+      success: true,
+      available: true,
+      replicas: deployment.spec?.replicas || 0,
+      readyReplicas: deployment.status?.readyReplicas || 0,
+      availableReplicas: deployment.status?.availableReplicas || 0,
+      updatedReplicas: deployment.status?.updatedReplicas || 0,
+    });
+  } catch (e: any) {
+    console.error('[K8s] Error getting deployment:', e.message);
+    res.status(500).json({
+      success: false,
+      error: e.message,
+    });
+  }
+});
+
+/**
+ * POST /api/k8s/workers/scale
+ * Scale worker deployment
+ * Body: { replicas: number }
+ */
+router.post('/workers/scale', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
+  const client = getK8sClient();
+
+  if (!client) {
+    return res.status(503).json({
+      success: false,
+      error: k8sError || 'K8s not available',
+    });
+  }
+
+  const { replicas } = req.body;
+
+  if (typeof replicas !== 'number' || replicas < 0 || replicas > 50) {
+    return res.status(400).json({
+      success: false,
+      error: 'replicas must be a number between 0 and 50',
+    });
+  }
+
+  try {
+    // Patch the deployment to set replicas
+    await client.patchNamespacedDeploymentScale({
+      name: WORKER_DEPLOYMENT,
+      namespace: NAMESPACE,
+      body: {
+        spec: { replicas },
+      },
+    }, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, {
+      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/strategic-merge-patch+json' },
+    });
+
+    console.log(`[K8s] Scaled ${WORKER_DEPLOYMENT} to ${replicas} replicas`);
+
+    res.json({
+      success: true,
+      replicas,
+      message: `Scaled to ${replicas} workers`,
+    });
+  } catch (e: any) {
+    console.error('[K8s] Error scaling deployment:', e.message);
+    res.status(500).json({
+      success: false,
+      error: e.message,
+    });
+  }
+});
+
+export default router;
diff --git a/cannaiq/src/lib/api.ts b/cannaiq/src/lib/api.ts
index ee9f1107..bacf9f56 100755
--- a/cannaiq/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/cannaiq/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -2950,6 +2950,25 @@ class ApiClient {
       { method: 'POST' }
     );
   }
+
+  // K8s Worker Control
+  async getK8sWorkers() {
+    return this.request<{
+      success: boolean;
+      available: boolean;
+      replicas: number;
+      readyReplicas: number;
+      availableReplicas?: number;
+      error?: string;
+    }>('/api/k8s/workers');
+  }
+
+  async scaleK8sWorkers(replicas: number) {
+    return this.request<{ success: boolean; replicas: number; message?: string; error?: string }>(
+      '/api/k8s/workers/scale',
+      { method: 'POST', body: JSON.stringify({ replicas }) }
+    );
+  }
 }
 
 export const api = new ApiClient(API_URL);
diff --git a/cannaiq/src/pages/TasksDashboard.tsx b/cannaiq/src/pages/TasksDashboard.tsx
index 7fb7fce6..8ed8f134 100644
--- a/cannaiq/src/pages/TasksDashboard.tsx
+++ b/cannaiq/src/pages/TasksDashboard.tsx
@@ -14,9 +14,11 @@ import {
   ChevronUp,
   Gauge,
   Users,
-  Power,
   Play,
   Square,
+  Plus,
+  Minus,
+  Server,
 } from 'lucide-react';
 
 interface Task {
@@ -141,6 +143,12 @@ export default function TasksDashboard() {
   const [poolPaused, setPoolPaused] = useState(false);
   const [poolLoading, setPoolLoading] = useState(false);
 
+  // K8s worker state
+  const [k8sAvailable, setK8sAvailable] = useState(false);
+  const [workerReplicas, setWorkerReplicas] = useState(0);
+  const [workerReady, setWorkerReady] = useState(0);
+  const [scalingWorkers, setScalingWorkers] = useState(false);
+
   // Filters
   const [roleFilter, setRoleFilter] = useState<string>('');
   const [statusFilter, setStatusFilter] = useState<string>('');
@@ -150,7 +158,7 @@ export default function TasksDashboard() {
 
   const fetchData = async () => {
     try {
-      const [tasksRes, countsRes, capacityRes, poolStatus] = await Promise.all([
+      const [tasksRes, countsRes, capacityRes, poolStatus, k8sRes] = await Promise.all([
         api.getTasks({
           role: roleFilter || undefined,
           status: statusFilter || undefined,
@@ -159,12 +167,16 @@ export default function TasksDashboard() {
         api.getTaskCounts(),
         api.getTaskCapacity(),
         api.getTaskPoolStatus(),
+        api.getK8sWorkers(),
       ]);
 
       setTasks(tasksRes.tasks || []);
       setCounts(countsRes);
       setCapacity(capacityRes.metrics || []);
       setPoolPaused(poolStatus.paused);
+      setK8sAvailable(k8sRes.available);
+      setWorkerReplicas(k8sRes.replicas);
+      setWorkerReady(k8sRes.readyReplicas);
       setError(null);
     } catch (err: any) {
       setError(err.message || 'Failed to load tasks');
@@ -173,6 +185,25 @@ export default function TasksDashboard() {
     }
   };
 
+  const scaleWorkers = async (delta: number) => {
+    const newReplicas = Math.max(0, Math.min(50, workerReplicas + delta));
+    if (newReplicas === workerReplicas) return;
+
+    setScalingWorkers(true);
+    try {
+      const res = await api.scaleK8sWorkers(newReplicas);
+      if (res.success) {
+        setWorkerReplicas(res.replicas);
+      } else {
+        setError(res.error || 'Failed to scale workers');
+      }
+    } catch (err: any) {
+      setError(err.message || 'Failed to scale workers');
+    } finally {
+      setScalingWorkers(false);
+    }
+  };
+
   const togglePool = async () => {
     setPoolLoading(true);
     try {
@@ -238,6 +269,32 @@ export default function TasksDashboard() {
           </div>
 
           <div className="flex items-center gap-4">
+            {/* Worker Scaling */}
+            {k8sAvailable && (
+              <div className="flex items-center gap-2 px-3 py-2 bg-gray-100 rounded-lg">
+                <Server className="w-4 h-4 text-gray-500" />
+                <button
+                  onClick={() => scaleWorkers(-5)}
+                  disabled={scalingWorkers || workerReplicas === 0}
+                  className="p-1 hover:bg-gray-200 rounded disabled:opacity-50"
+                  title="Remove 5 workers"
+                >
+                  <Minus className="w-4 h-4" />
+                </button>
+                <span className={`min-w-[60px] text-center font-mono ${scalingWorkers ? 'animate-pulse' : ''}`}>
+                  {workerReady}/{workerReplicas}
+                </span>
+                <button
+                  onClick={() => scaleWorkers(5)}
+                  disabled={scalingWorkers || workerReplicas >= 50}
+                  className="p-1 hover:bg-gray-200 rounded disabled:opacity-50"
+                  title="Add 5 workers"
+                >
+                  <Plus className="w-4 h-4" />
+                </button>
+              </div>
+            )}
+
             {/* Pool Toggle */}
             <button
               onClick={togglePool}