Scouting For Scale In Winter

May 27, 2023
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https://bygl.osu.edu/node/2090

Winter can be an ideal time to scout for scale on deciduous trees. The reason ‘Sooty Mold’ on the trunk or bark. So, what is sooty mold. Sooty mold is a fungal disease that grows on bark, leaves, sidewalks or other surfaces.
This fungus is growing on surfaces covered with honeydew which is actually the excrements of insects that feed on the sap of plants. This liquidly substance drips on lower surfaces and can provide a media for sooty mold to grow. The disease gets its name because it resembles soot and is black.

Not all scale will produce honeydew. There are 2 types of scale. Armored scale adults are elongated like this Pine Needle Scale or Oyster shell scale. These types of scale do not produce honeydew, but their feeding can still cause damage to trees

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Categories: Garden Blog