Now that I’ve discovered your recommendations, how soon before I can apply the Bayer product, please? As far as treatment goes, we do not feel that the oils, soaps, and washes from other sites work. Hi Joe, good eye on that. Thank you!! As the spots spread, the leaves and stems become covered in a white, puffy substance that causes the leaves to turn yellow and fall off. If CMBS are in your area, it would be a good idea to apply this as a preventative measure during this window. -Denise. Thanks for your comment. I will get the Bayer to treat from beginning and prevent the scale. Older leaves are less likely to be affected, but can become infected under conditions favorable for the disease. Having been raised in Germany where there is lots of vegetation. The scale sucks the sap from your branches and tree trunks and then the sugars and yeast in the sap attracts the mold. Thanks for all the info. Your email address will not be published. We thank them for providing the images! Do I need to wait a season before planting or treat the ground with anything so the new trees don’t potentially get these critters? A&M has identified this pest as Eriococcus lagerstroemiae, and suspects that it was brought into the U.S. on a crape myrtle plant. Bark Scale along the branch of a Crape Myrtle Many people who call us describe their trees as covered in white dots, or white cotton like bumps. The small CMBS males are winged and will fly to find females and to mate. So glad you found this blog so helpful. I hope to encourage people to enjoy their homes, indoors and out. Posted on March 26, 2019 by Jennifer Gibson - Insect and Pest Control, Seasonal Tips. I believe it’s estimated that the chemicals travel about 1′ per day, so depending on the size of your trees it could take 1-2 weeks. The oils do not work. Denis, thank you for your reply and taking the time to help Really appreciate it and reading over all the other comments. Hi Robin, thanks for your comment. Each female lays about 60 to 250 eggs, which may over-winter within their ovisacs, and then hatch during mid- to late April to May. As with most insects, there are several life stages and the appearance of CMBS changes with the stages. It comes in granular and liquid form, and provides 12-month long-lasting systemic protection against the scale. I have already removed the old mulch and liner from the bed, I also cut down some old bushes. Yes with the Red Tip Photenias you likely have Entomosporium leaf spot. Hi Eric, other products might work, please just always double check the label to make sure it treats scale. So, do we do both? To kill the scale we recommend Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed Concentrate. The white stuff was plant sap that had oozed out of the leaf tips in a natural process called âguttationâ and then dried and crystallized. If the stickiness is associated with waxy white blobs, your plant has mealybugs. Thank you, If your crepe myrtle is affected by white scale, it may develop black sooty mold (In fact, the sooty, black substance may be the first sign of white scale on crepe myrtles.). Thank you for your question Laci. As the infection spreads, these tiny spots become larger. What we can see with the naked eye are harmless adults, but their younger form ⦠Pickup all of the leafs on the ground as well and throw them away too. Turn the leaves over and you see little white dots / bugs. One of my Crepe Myrtles (4′ high, raised from an Audubon sapling) had a heavy dose of white scale, accompanied by ants. I'm not sure what it is, but I want it off. I was watering my plants today and noticed this white stuff on the branches of my crape myrtle. Be sure to coat the trunk thoroughly. For mature adults, please apply Bayer Advanced. Thanks for your time and the information. Scale is just a part of life for crape owners now. You will be throwing away a lot of crape myrtles if you toss them out every time due to bark scale since it’s so prevalent now. Can I treat other plants around, with this same treatment, that this has spread to from my Crape Myrtles? You can always just throw on a pair of gloves and go to town smashing all of the individual scale bugs. There is a new, serious threat to one of our favorite trees. Hello well just found out I also have these white fluffy critters on two small trees here in South Mississippi. As these insects feed, they give off a sweet substance called honeydew. Will the black bark change back to it original bark color? Also just know even if the scale die they do not fall off. You can also use neem oil or an all-natural pesticide spray to get rid of scales. In one year, there could be at least two generations of CMBS. They often think the white dots are a fungus, but it is in fact a bug. After the scale has died you will just see a white shell as shown in the pictures above and you will not be able to see any pink coming from the scale once smashed. 4 through 6). – Denise. Closely examine the affected areas to properly identify the pest. So glad & thankful to have found this article! It can completely cover and severely damage new plant growth. They pierce the plants and suck the juices. ⦠What happened? I gave them a good pruning. Hi Trudy, Thanks for your message. Is the black soot and white scale harmful to pets and humans. Grayish-white patches on the bark near pruning wounds or in branch crotches hide colonies of the insects. The scales also reproduce on the shrubs, with each female laying dozens of pink eggs. I just notice the white ⦠Again, black sooty mold with gray and white specs being CMBS. Thanks for your advice about white scale. Hope this helps. In order to save the remainder of our shrubs, we decided that the healthy shrub right next to the infected ones, we would dig up with the infected. CMBS might be able to overwinter in the adult female and egg life stages, and crawlers and later stage nymphs have been observed overwintering under the loose bark and in cracks and crevices of crapemyrtles in our area. The drench will need to be applied to the drip line of the plant. Crape myrtles are a very hardy trees with lots of reserves, so it would take several seasons of bark scale for the tree to succumb to this pest. To give you tree a boost also apply Dynamite Fertilizer and Superthrive. Crepe myrtle bark scale insects make their home on the plant's exfoliating white bark, where they conceal themselves beneath protective wax. This honeydew, in t⦠Yesterday I was trimming one of the healthy branches from our walkway and discovered a whole new batch of scale. Infected parts of the plant are usually distorted and stunted. One of the most common diseases that affects crepe myrtle is powdery mildew. We are happy to help. Mix with water as directed, and apply in a band along the drip line of the plant, as a soil drench. Here in our personal gardens we prune our crapes up about twice a year to keep the trunks cleaned up. I am so sorry to hear that you have such an ordeal with the scale. The white shells often take a while to fall off but you can gently brush them off to make the tree cosmetically more attractive. Critters will always be out and about but only treat when you actually see something and try not to treat while they are blooming. 2), infected shoots may dry up and shrivel, severely affected buds will drop off (Fig. Do not fear though, as it’s easy to treat. Look for patches of white felt-like material on the twigs, branches, and trunk. I was just about to remodel my front flower bed when I discovered the white bark disease bugs on my crepe myrtle tree. |. It has black bark all over the tree (looks like it’s been there for years), but it’ll still blooming in some parts. Powdery mildew occurs most often on young, actively growing plant tissues (Fig. I was glad to find out that we could save them! A&M has identified this pest as Eriococcus lagerstroemiae, and suspects that it was brought into the U.S. on a crape myrtle plant. Scale is easy to treat now that you know what you have. Heavily infected flowers may fail to open. If you notice any pink oozing out then they are still alive. It’s even more serious than the unsightly and oft mentioned crape murder. Should I peel off the black parts of the bark before I spray it? When crushed, these scales exude pink âbloodâ-like liquid. Is just the opposite. -Denise. Only one has them but I’d replace both to match. I will be sharing more information and treatment plans for other common North Texas pests as they come about. Scale is all over Texas now and even if it didn’t come from a nursery its a matter of time before yours got it. Hope this helps you and good luck! -Denise. I don’t have a talent for these things. This disease is spread by spores and causes a gray or white film to cover the leaves and sometimes branches of the magnolia tree. Do you think one application will suffice? As a reminder, crape murder is the extreme pruning of crapemyrtles that results in weakened and deformed trees. I have never seen the bark scale attack other plants, but yes the Bayer Advanced can be applied to many types of plants. Another cause is too much shade. hlo…can I use insecticides for bark scale. Doc explains how to cure this and what this is. It's easy to spot. Hi Ed, so sorry for the slow reply. Should I use a mask when cleaning the scale off? I would definitely recommend that you contact Bayer with those questions. I have seen some picture of crape myrtles that have pretty good size branches/ trunks. All varieties are susceptible to attack by crape myrtle scales, although research is underway to see if some are more so than others. This product is readily available online and at most local home & garden stores such as Lowes and Home Depot. The entire tree turned black and sappy. The disease is most serious in shady, damp locations, especially where plants are crowded ⦠Spraying the bark with water does not work. It is a slow process, but the bark will return to its original color down the road. They often think the white dots are a fungus, but it is in fact a bug. Hope this helps you but I do think its good to have Bayer on hand for once you notice any scale. Just ordered crepe myrtles to plant in my sunny yard where I need a little shade. As it feeds, it excretes a sugary solution known as âhoneydewâ (similar to aphids, whiteflies, and other sucking insects). Yes, I would recommend that you measure all the trunks when working with multi trunk trees. 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