How do you get rid of cottony maple scale?
The time to treat cottony maple scale is just after the eggs have hatched in early July. Two treatments 10 days apart are usually needed. Treatments as late as late July are effective if thorough application to lower leaf surfaces is achieved.
What causes cottony maple scale?
Biology and Symptoms: This mold grows on sugary honeydew excreted by the scale. Heavy infestations for 2 or 3 years may kill large branches. Fertilized, immature females overwinter on twigs and small branches of the host. In spring, they resume feeding and developing.
What does cottony scale look like?
Description and Life Cycle. Mature cottony maple scales are small, flat, oval, brown insects without obvious legs, antennae or wings. By this time, the scales look like two different kinds: a translucent white to pink form and a larger, flat, tan form. These are male and female scales, respectively.
Is cottony maple scale a soft scale?
The cottony maple scale is one of the largest and most conspicuous soft scale insects that attack ornamental plants. Its favored host is silver maple, Acer saccharinum. A large number of other deciduous trees are also attacked including other species of maple, such as boxelder, A.
How do you control cottony scale?
The vedalia beetle is the best method of controlling cottony cushion scale. Vedalia beetles grow very rapidly (they can complete four generations in the time it takes cottony cushion scale to complete one generation) and consume large numbers of cottony cushion scale eggs and nymphs in a very short amount of time.
What insecticide kills scale?
Acephate, imidacloprid and dinotefuran are three commonly used systemic insecticides that are effective against scale. Treatment involves pouring the mixed insecticide at the base of the plant.
How do you treat a cottony scale?
Answer
- Cottony cushion scale (Icerya purchasi) is a scale insect that feeds on many woody plants and is particularly fond of citrus.
- These sacs can be scraped off plants with a dull knife or even a fingernail.
- Light horticultural oil, also called superior horticultural spray oil, is also effective.
Can maple trees get scale?
Many types of scale insects exist, grouped into two main categories: armored scales and soft scales. The most common scale insects that infest maple trees are the armored varieties oystershell scale and scurfy scale, as well as the soft varieties cottony maple scale and lecanium scale.
Do maple trees produce cotton?
Mature cottony maple scales are small, flat, oval, and brown scales 1/4 to 3/8-inch in diameter, that can attach themselves firmly to tree branches. Female cottony maple scales produce the white ovisacs that look like cotton balls. These “cotton balls” are actually sacs which may contain up to 1,500 individual eggs.
What kills cottony scale?
A sure but tedious method for killing scale insects is to rub them with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. This is 100% effective as long as you are diligent. Hot water is another way to kill mealybugs and cottony cushion scale. Mild insecticides such as insecticidal soap and horticultural oil kill scale insects.
How many eggs can be found in a cottony cushion scale egg sac?
Description of the Pest The most distinguishing feature of the cottony cushion scale female is the fluted cottony egg sac that she secretes. About 600 to 800 eggs are laid in the sac.
What kind of insect is a cottony maple?
The cottony maple scale is a large, flat, brown scale insect found on the twigs and branches of various trees. White, cottony egg masses that resemble popcorn are its most distinguishing feature.
How big are cottony maple scales at maturity?
Mature cottony maple scales are small, flat, oval, brown insects without obvious legs, antennae or wings. They are firmly attached to the twigs and branches of various trees and may be ¼ to ⅜ inch in diameter. At maturity, the females produce the white, cottony egg masses, called ovisacs, over a period of several weeks.
What kind of damage does cottony maple do?
Heavy infestations can result in branch dieback and in rare instances, tree death. Cottony maple scales are occasionally confused with a close relative, the cottony maple leaf scale, Pulvinaria acericola. Cottony maple leaf scale females form their ovisacs on leaves, not on branches.
What kind of insect attacks silver maple tree?
The cottony maple scale is one of the largest and most conspicuous soft scale insects that attack ornamental plants. Its favored host is silver maple, Acer saccharinum.
