Spring is here!

Spring is definitely coming on fast.  As many of you work on your spring cleanup, it's a good time to take a good look at your trees for scale problems.  Scale insects suck the sap of the plant, draining it of the energy it needs.  Soft scales can be extremely problematic as they excrete a sugary substance called honeydew.  It's a nice name for liquid bug poo.  It's a food source that sooty mold loves and homeowners dread for the black, fuzzy blanket that it creates. 

If you find your plants affected by a soft scale that produces honeydew, there are several products containing imidachloprid, including Bayer Tree and Shrub.  They are applied at the soil surface and are taken up by the trees roots.  The chemical is taken to the branches, twigs, and leaves where the scale is feeding.  Unfortunately, it takes a while (up to 6 weeks) for the product to take full effect since it has to move through the tree.  Treating now, will help to get the chemical in place for when the young scales start feeding.

Adult Scales photographed by James Solomon, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org