Ryan Lawn & Tree
Scale
Affected Plants
A wide variety of plants can host scale insectsIdentification and Life Cycle
Most scales can be identified by first identifying the species of the host plant and then the size, color, and shape of the scale covering.Scale insects spend the winter as eggs hidden under the scale attached to twigs. In the spring, the eggs hatch into nymphs or "crawlers" that have legs and many move to other parts of the plant or onto new plants. The crawlers grow through several stages until the adult female settles in, secrete their covering, and lay their eggs. The adult females are immobile once they have secreted their covering.
Damage
Scale feed by sucking the juices or nutrients out of the foliage and sometimes twigs of the host plant. Scales get their name from the waxy covering that adult females secrete and hide under while they feed and lay eggs.Control and Management
Plant protection products applied at the appropriate time based on the developmental stage of the insect can help keep scale under control.
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