There are systemic insecticides available that can be used to control scale. On the East End it has become a severe problem on privet. This photo shows Prunicola Scale, a very hard to control scale insect that damages and can even kill cherry trees and other ornamental trees, and horticultural oils are very helpful in controlling this pest. Look for white scale covers (white stuff) on the trunks and branches. Many armored scales are serious pests of ornamental shrubs, trees, groundcovers and turfgrasses in South Carolina. Scale's Habitat. Also known as “White Peach Scale,” these particular type of scale insects are pests of various woody ornamental trees and shrubs. It is often found on weakened plants. Over 1,000 species of scale can be found in the United States and Canada. Scale sounds and looks a lot like a plant disease, but the term actually refers to infestation by any one of more than 7,000 species of tiny sap-sucking insects.Scale insects typically adhere to the stems, branches, and sometimes the leaves of plants to feed on sap, and they have a shell-like bump appearance, which sometimes causes them to be mistaken for a fungal or bacterial disease. Easily seen as a white coating on trunk and White Prunicola Scale is thought to have originated in Japan or China but is currently found all over the world. If you suspect a problem with your trees, call a SavATree certified arborist right away for an evaluation and treatment options. 4. Coccidae, ‘Pink Wax Scale’. White Prunicola Scale Bark-feeding scale insect that can form high populations rapidly. Usually attacks cherries, plums, lilacs and other trees and shrubs. Crawlers are often not the same color as the adults of the species. White prunicola scale – Feeding by heavy infestations of this insect can cause leaf yellowing and dieback. Our tree care experts can help protect your trees and keep your landscape beautiful. For more information on treatment, click here. Source: treegrow. The white, oystershell-shaped scale can completely cover needles causing plant discoloration, needle yellowing, and even branch death. This white waxy covering can protect them against many forms of insecticide, although any oily insecticide will likely stay on long enough to have effect. The young scales, called crawlers, have legs and will move very slowly, or are blown by the wind, to a spot on a plant that they like. The coccidae are a family that often secrete a waxy coating. White peach scale has significant impacts on commercial peach growing operations. White peach scale insects cause leaves to yellow and drop, decrease fruit production, and lead to premature death of the tree. This scale settles on the needles of its host and forms a 1/8-inch white, oystershell-shaped cover. Prunicola Scale. Female scale may also overwinter. In 2013, we added Indian wax scale, white prunicola scale and juniper scale to the monitoring list to better determine crawler periods. Soft scales are found throughout the U.S. and Canada, while the hard scale is found largely in the southern regions of the U.S. The nymphs or eggs of scales spend the winter amid the cracks and crevices of tree bark. This is an armored scale that sucks out cell contents. And, when the scale goes to crawler stage, contact insecticides such as insecticidal oil and Distance can be used. White Prunicola Scale; Black knot; Don’t let these diseases or pests destroy your precious trees. White Prunicola Scale. Pine Needle Scale is probably the most common armored scale found on conifers in the United States and Canada. Cottony cushion scales, for example, are off-white but the crawlers are orange. 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