Scale is a serious threat to your landscape. Your valuable trees and shrubs could quickly be decimated by this small insect. Do you know the signs of a scale infestation? Read on before your trees fall victim to this tiny terror.
Scale bugs attached themselves to the twigs and leaves of a tree or shrub and suck the sap. They then excrete honeydew, a sugar-rich substance common to aphids and some varieties of scale. The honeydew will coat the surfaces under the plant and molds may grow on it high sugar content.
This constant loss of sap can stunt the growth of the plant or kill it. It makes leaves drop and reduces the size of flowers. This is often the first sign of a scale problem.
Look for yellowing or falling leaves to find a scale problem. Feel the surfaces under the plants for the tell-tale stickiness of the honeydew. However, not all scale insects produce honeydew so look for leaf drop and “flagging” (leaf tips turning yellow and drooping) first. You can also look very closely at the surface of the twigs for the small bumps of the scale bug itself. They are usually small and smooth and may be covered in a protective waxy substance.
In late summer and early fall, the scale bugs start to crawl away from their delicious twigs to a spot where they can spend the winter in comfort. This is one of the few times when horticultural sprays and insecticide sprays will work or this resilient insect.
A better choice is to use a pest control substance applied to the base of the plant and absorbed through its roots. The substance is then distributed through the plant and its sap so the scale bugs eventually ingest it. This approach takes a little longer but scale bugs are hard to kill with traditional sprays. Their protective outer shell and coating makes them a difficult insect to eradicate quickly.
A large population may take several seasons to eradicate. Your Brevard County lawn care service may have to treat for this insect several times. Be persistent and you’ll eventually win the war on scale.