Scale insect pests

Scale insect pests cause damage to thousands of plant species by sucking nutrients out of the plant through the leaf or stem.
Scale insect pests
There are an estimated 8000 species of scale around the world, in South Florida there are about 175 species of soft scale and armored scale insects that cause damage to trees, shrubs and palms. Some like the Asian scale are resistant to most insecticides.

When they suck the life out of your plants they excrete a sugary substance called honeydew that ants feed on attracting ants to your property and later turning the sugary excrement into a black sooty mold causing staining to driveways, cars and pool decks.

Species like the Florida wax scale and the croton scale are among the most prolific attacking hundreds of plant species including Croton, Eugenia, Schefflera and Mango, Cocoplum, many others.

In palm trees the Red Date scale attack Phoenix roebelenii: Pygmy Date Palms.

Scale insects can also carry and transmit diseases and fungi to plants.

Scale are related to Aphids, Whiteflies and Mealybugs

Treatment can range from using natural insecticides on a weekly basis to break the life cycle and then used as required at first sign with regular scouting and inspections.

We do not recommend using synthetic insecticide like bifenthrin or permathrin as part of a routine spray program such as bi monthly or quarterly service because they do little to prevent and control scale and other pest infestations by not breaking the life cycle avoid using Neonicotinoids as sprays because bees are especially sensitive to them and they kill other pollinators and beneficial insects.

We offer a long term control systemic insecticide root drench service that protects bees and beneficial insects while providing superior long term control with as little as one application per year for most species and a 6 month which also works to control whiteflies on ficus benjamina shrubs.