diff --git a/pandas/_libs/lib.pyx b/pandas/_libs/lib.pyx
index 2736133a79d8e..3bc39979b0fc1 100644
--- a/pandas/_libs/lib.pyx
+++ b/pandas/_libs/lib.pyx
@@ -153,10 +153,10 @@ def is_scalar(val: object) -> bool:
     """
 
     return (cnp.PyArray_IsAnyScalar(val)
-            # As of numpy-1.9, PyArray_IsAnyScalar misses bytearrays on Py3.
-            or isinstance(val, (bytes, Fraction, Number))
-            # We differ from numpy (as of 1.10), which claims that None is
-            # not scalar in np.isscalar().
+            # PyArray_IsAnyScalar is always False for bytearrays on Py3
+            or isinstance(val, (Fraction, Number))
+            # We differ from numpy, which claims that None is not scalar;
+            # see np.isscalar
             or val is None
             or PyDate_Check(val)
             or PyDelta_Check(val)
diff --git a/pandas/_libs/tslibs/timedeltas.pyx b/pandas/_libs/tslibs/timedeltas.pyx
index a70e245fa1504..219d3cd3ece75 100644
--- a/pandas/_libs/tslibs/timedeltas.pyx
+++ b/pandas/_libs/tslibs/timedeltas.pyx
@@ -161,9 +161,6 @@ cpdef convert_to_timedelta64(object ts, object unit):
         - None/NaT
 
     Return an ns based int64
-
-    # kludgy here until we have a timedelta scalar
-    # handle the numpy < 1.7 case
     """
     if checknull_with_nat(ts):
         return np.timedelta64(NPY_NAT)
diff --git a/pandas/tests/arrays/categorical/test_api.py b/pandas/tests/arrays/categorical/test_api.py
index 505c2a8eab7cd..348bb947efef7 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/arrays/categorical/test_api.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/arrays/categorical/test_api.py
@@ -455,7 +455,6 @@ def test_codes_immutable(self):
             c.codes = np.array([0, 1, 2, 0, 1], dtype='int8')
 
         # changes in the codes array should raise
-        # np 1.6.1 raises RuntimeError rather than ValueError
         codes = c.codes
 
         with pytest.raises(ValueError):
diff --git a/pandas/tests/indexes/datetimes/test_misc.py b/pandas/tests/indexes/datetimes/test_misc.py
index 8d9f496b70079..cec181161fc11 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/indexes/datetimes/test_misc.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/indexes/datetimes/test_misc.py
@@ -188,7 +188,6 @@ def test_datetimeindex_accessors(self):
         assert sum(dti.is_year_end) == 1
 
         # Ensure is_start/end accessors throw ValueError for CustomBusinessDay,
-        # CBD requires np >= 1.7
         bday_egypt = offsets.CustomBusinessDay(weekmask='Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu')
         dti = date_range(datetime(2013, 4, 30), periods=5, freq=bday_egypt)
         pytest.raises(ValueError, lambda: dti.is_month_start)
diff --git a/pandas/tests/indexes/timedeltas/test_arithmetic.py b/pandas/tests/indexes/timedeltas/test_arithmetic.py
index 82337ac37fbee..75b1e9daff058 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/indexes/timedeltas/test_arithmetic.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/indexes/timedeltas/test_arithmetic.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
 from datetime import timedelta
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
@@ -413,15 +412,13 @@ def test_ops_ndarray(self):
         other = pd.to_timedelta(['1 day']).values
         expected = pd.to_timedelta(['2 days']).values
         tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(td + other, expected)
-        if LooseVersion(np.__version__) >= LooseVersion('1.8'):
-            tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(other + td, expected)
+        tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(other + td, expected)
         pytest.raises(TypeError, lambda: td + np.array([1]))
         pytest.raises(TypeError, lambda: np.array([1]) + td)
 
         expected = pd.to_timedelta(['0 days']).values
         tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(td - other, expected)
-        if LooseVersion(np.__version__) >= LooseVersion('1.8'):
-            tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(-other + td, expected)
+        tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(-other + td, expected)
         pytest.raises(TypeError, lambda: td - np.array([1]))
         pytest.raises(TypeError, lambda: np.array([1]) - td)
 
@@ -433,21 +430,18 @@ def test_ops_ndarray(self):
 
         tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(td / other,
                                     np.array([1], dtype=np.float64))
-        if LooseVersion(np.__version__) >= LooseVersion('1.8'):
-            tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(other / td,
-                                        np.array([1], dtype=np.float64))
+        tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(other / td,
+                                    np.array([1], dtype=np.float64))
 
         # timedelta, datetime
         other = pd.to_datetime(['2000-01-01']).values
         expected = pd.to_datetime(['2000-01-02']).values
         tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(td + other, expected)
-        if LooseVersion(np.__version__) >= LooseVersion('1.8'):
-            tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(other + td, expected)
+        tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(other + td, expected)
 
         expected = pd.to_datetime(['1999-12-31']).values
         tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(-td + other, expected)
-        if LooseVersion(np.__version__) >= LooseVersion('1.8'):
-            tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(other - td, expected)
+        tm.assert_numpy_array_equal(other - td, expected)
 
     def test_timedelta_ops_with_missing_values(self):
         # setup
diff --git a/pandas/tests/util/test_util.py b/pandas/tests/util/test_util.py
index e4b2f0a75051a..f6f2d2dcdbdf8 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/util/test_util.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/util/test_util.py
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ def test_rands_array_2d():
 
 
 def test_numpy_err_state_is_default():
-    # The defaults since numpy 1.6.0
     expected = {"over": "warn", "divide": "warn",
                 "invalid": "warn", "under": "ignore"}
     import numpy as np