Home»Trees»Crape Myrtle
crepe myrtle are prostrate to ontogenesis , disease , and some pestilence . A coarse trouble affecting these Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is crepe myrtle bark scale , an louse that patch on its bark , diminishing the tree ’s aesthetic ingathering . What does it look like and how do you get rid of it ?
Crape Vinca minor bark scale appears as black smut near pruning site or on the trunks of old Natalie Wood . It progresses to a white crust . It is cause by the French pancake Vinca minor bark plate dirt ball that bring out honeydew melon on the tree ’s bark . you could treat the tree diagram using soapy water and dormant crude .
Treat enceinte infestation with a systemic insect powder such as imidacloprid on the foliage and root . I ’ve elaborated further on the identification , case , and the respectable ways to get rid of bark scale on your crape Vinca minor in the rest of the article .
What does crape myrtle bark scale look like?
Crape Vinca minor bark scale is a tiny , white / grey-haired pest that appears as an encrusted finishing on the bark of crepe myrtle Tree . During the other stagecoach of infestation , you ’ll acknowledge opprobrious jet mould on the tree bark and branch as the nymphs produce honeydew that attract black mold . When you crush crape Vinca minor bark scale , it releases a pinkish liquid with blood - similar consistency .
take down : The sooty mould often leads to crape myrtle barque shell being mistaken for aphid , as they both produce honeydew that boost the growth of black-market mold . However , crepe myrtle bark scale has a typical ‘ pink blood ’ when trounce .
Upon close inspection using magnifying lenses , you ’ll point out these tiny insect are about 2 millimetre long . You may also notice numerous pink eggs . Crape myrtle bark scale also prefers encrust the low side of young lateral shoots over the side directly exposed to the sun .
Note : Crape myrtle bark scale gently resembles mealybugs .
Causes of bark scale on crape myrtle
Crape myrtle bark scale is a common pestilence on landscape painting flora like crape myrtle , pomegranate , and boxwood . As such , it ’s challenge to avoid infestation . However , infestations are likely more frequent and dangerous if your French pancake myrtle trees hurt from natural stressors . These could be due to a lack of water system or nutrients or bankruptcy to mulch or prune the tree to boost their health .
The limited number of lifelike predators is another grounds why crape myrtle bark scale can infest French pancake myrtle tree diagram . This pest is native to China . They do n’t have many native predators in the US . The noblewoman mallet specie that fertilize on crepe myrtle bark scale grow and populate slower than the pesterer , leave in ineffectual biological ascendence .
Crape Myrtle trees with pregnant damage are also more vulnerable to crape myrtle bark scale plague , as the ‘ combat injury ’ provide easygoing access for the plague . It ’s not uncommon to find crape myrtle trees with pruning lesion or injury with high population of crape Vinca minor bark scale than those with little to no damage .
How to get rid of bark scale on crape myrtle
Getting disembarrass of the barque scale on crape myrtle depends on the plague ’s stiffness and first sighting . supervise your plants gives you an upper bridge player so you’re able to apply preventative measures .
To get free of barque scale on crape myrtle , you could dislodge them off the tree diagram using a dish soap solution , kill them using a systemic insecticide or a contact pesticide mix .
Wash off the scales
The round-eyed way to control crape myrtle bark weighing machine is by lave them off the tree ’s bark and twigs using a dish liquid ecstasy and water solution . This root will dislodge most of the grownup female scales and egg off the crape myrtle and wash off the black mold . After preparing the solution , practice by dipping a soft - bristle brush into it and then scratch the branch .
instead , a high - press hosepipe can wash off the scale and smut . Stick to the proper pressure mise en scene , though , as you do n’t want physically damage your crape Vinca minor tree .
That being said , manually washing off the scales is not the most effective way of life of getting disembarrass of myrtle tree bark scale , especially in situations where the infestation is severe . Use it as a first dance step to more effective treatment later .
Spray the crape myrtle with systemic insecticides
Applying a systemic insecticide is the most efficient way to get rid of crape myrtle bark scale on landscape painting works . For maximum efficacy , they should be sop or inject into the base zona of the crape Vinca minor trees . The best systemic insecticides for this metal money of scale worm contain the follow master active ingredients .
When using a land - drench systemic weedkiller , utilise it within the drip line of the crape myrtle Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . The drip line is the area from the outer circumference of the branches moving forward towards the trunk . The drip line is where the crape Vinca minor confluent roots are located .
However , this method can be slow , as the insecticide take in several weeks to be transplant throughout the tree after swamp . A individual software program of systemic insect powder will continue to keep crape myrtle bark scale away from your crape myrtle tree diagram for up to 12 month .
To determine if the treatment is in force , waitress 3 - 4 weeks , then crush some of the adult scales encrusted on the crepe Vinca minor tree bark . If no pink liquid state come out , the chemical substance command has perform well . However , if you’re able to still pick out pink blood after crush the scale , you may involve to flip to a systemic pesticide with a different elementary active ingredient .
Spray the crape myrtle with contact insecticides
While systemic insecticide knead well for adult crape myrtle back scale , link insecticides are deadly against young crepe myrtle bark scale , also eff as crawlers . The best contact pesticide for these angleworm take a admixture of horticultural crude oil and a chief active fixings , Bifenthrin .
Always keep up the manufacturers ’ commix guidelines when create a Bifenthrin / horticultural fossil oil pesticide mix . Generally , the recommended amount of horticultural petroleum is 2 % , about five tablespoons for every gal of water .
This command method is best used from belated April to May and in late summer when immature French pancake myrtle bark shell show up . Horticultural fossil oil treatments are best apply when the temperature is between 45 ° degree Fahrenheit and 90 ° F .
Contact insecticides are applied by spray directly to the plant ’s leaf , branches , and trunk bark . You ’ll get the best results if you apply the insecticide in the later evening and when there is no rain forecast within the next 24 hours . The timing secure the insecticide does n’t dry up quickly due to the hot daytime sun or get washed off too shortly by rainfall .
Longer the contact time make the pesticide treatment more effective
Introduce natural predators
Several species of lady beetles give on crepe myrtle bark scale . Apart from noblewoman mallet , other lifelike predator that fee on crape myrtle bark plate include 16 mintage of parasitoid wasps and two species of lacewings .
However , insert natural enemies is arguably the least effective way of getting rid of crape myrtle bark scale . apply it alongside the other case of control discussed above . This is because most of them grow slower than the ordered series pest or come in too late into the time of year once the plague has spiraled out of command .
Will crape myrtle bark scale kill the tree?
Crape myrtle bark weighing machine does n’t direct kill crepe myrtle , but it feeds on the works sap , abbreviate plant wellness and vigor . big plague can head to reduced blossom charge per unit , stunted growth , and branch death .
This pest also lessen the visual collection of this cosmetic tree as it appears as unsightly white - grey patches on the bark of the French pancake myrtle . The contraband , sooty mould that accompanies it is n’t eye - catching either .
The bad worry with crepe Vinca minor bark graduated table is the speed at which it spreads . The insect is considered invasive , and it will spread to other tree . In the South , where crape myrtle tree are popular , you ’re likely to find a ghastly - looking yard from crape Vinca minor back scale infestation .
