How to deal with scale insects in the garden on trees: preparations and methods of control

Varieties of scale insects living in the garden and vegetable garden

Each type of insect has its own size and color. The only thing they are similar to each other is the presence of a wax shield on the body. By the way, this is where the name of the parasite comes from. There is no need to list all types. It is better to consider several varieties of insects that are most commonly found in the region.

Comma-shaped scale

Comma scale insects bear little resemblance to insects because they do not have eyes or limbs. In appearance, they look more like grown spots on the bark. The females are the most dangerous for vegetation; their body is shaped like a comma. Color – milky white. The length of the scutellum is at least 4 mm, brown in a living specimen and dark brown in a dead one.

Female comma scale insects do not move. Their main purpose is to breed offspring. One female is capable of laying up to 100 eggs, after which she dies. Under its shield, eggs can survive even in severe frosts. When the air temperature reaches +8, the first apple blossoms and small insects appear.

The young offspring are called wanderers because they quickly move along the trunks in search of food. At this point they are easiest to notice, as they are yellowish in color and no more than 3 mm long.

For reference! Lack of food for more than 48 hours is considered fatal for young scale insects.

Willow scale

The willow type of insect differs from the previous one in its wide and flat shield. Color – white or with a grayish tint. The female of this species has a red and yellow body. The eggs are red-violet in color. The ideal period for laying eggs is from August to September. One female individual is capable of laying from 20 to 70 eggs, which remain under the shield for the winter.

False California parasite

The false Californian scale insect is not only a fruit pest. She likes elm, poplar and linden. It is also an acacia parasite that affects many other tree crops. A round or oval-shaped bug can have two shades of shield. For wintering, the larvae remain on the bark of trees, and with the arrival of spring they begin to disperse, sticking to the bark. At the same time, females begin to lay eggs with new generations.

Acacia false shield, or common

The acacia, or ordinary, type of scale insect is distinguished by its reddish color and semicircular shield. Its target is fruit trees and bushes of stone fruit crops. Most often, this is a grape pest that is difficult to notice and remove. Females like last year's grapevine

Living on grapes, the parasite quickly becomes covered with a hard shell. This is a necessary condition for the preservation of offspring, since after death the female’s shield protects small scale insects. With the onset of warming, the first small insects appear and scatter around the area in search of food. With the arrival of autumn, all young individuals immigrate to annual shoots, which allow them to survive without protection until spring.

Plum false scale

The plum false shield can have a round, elongated oval or oval body. The length of a mature female can reach 9 mm. The shield can be moderately or strongly convex, hemispherical or spherical.

Like most scale insects, this species lays eggs underneath itself, hiding the offspring behind the shell. Gooseberries, figs and other rare shrubs often suffer from this type of pest. Also at risk are outdoor and indoor plants, such as cinquefoil, Decembrist or dracaena.

Signs of the appearance of scale insects on plums and methods of control using chemical and folk remedies

The scale insect appears unexpectedly on the plum tree, quickly attacking the tree. From this moment, fruit trees begin to lose energy and gradually stop growing. Fruits, flowers, buds begin to fall off. The leaves curl and become covered with a sticky coating. How to defeat a small insect that can destroy the entire crop? Methods of pest control and measures to protect plants from scale insects.

How to recognize an insect?

The scale insect is a small insect no more than 5 mm long, covered with a kind of shell. It is difficult to see with the naked eye; the pest is small, motionless, its color matches the bark of trees, it is omnivorous and is a parasitic insect that feeds on plant juices.

Entomologists identify more than 2,000 species of scale insects. The greatest dangers for plum trees are:

Californian;
comma-shaped;
plum.

Insects reproduce by laying eggs, from which larvae subsequently emerge. One female lays more than 100 eggs during her life.

Sex differences in these insects are pronounced. Males are not similar to females and do not cause any harm to orchards. Males resemble midges and have wings. They circle around plants in search of females, without sticking to the leaves and bark of trees.

Females spend their entire lives in trees, lay eggs and feed on plant juices, creating colonies that look like growths on the bark. They have no wings, no legs, no whiskers, and no eyes either.

There are bisexual scale insects; such varieties are more difficult to fight; they are resistant to many types of influences.

Reasons for appearance

Weakened plants are most often infected. Factors that can lead to the disease include:

excess nitrogenous fertilizers;
lack of lighting, shaded area;
lack of moisture;
lack of ventilation and dry air.

Plums should be regularly inspected for signs of disease and pests. The initial stage of the disease is treated quickly and effectively; irreversible changes have not yet occurred on the tree. At this stage, the crop can be saved.

Damage to plums

Scale insects are parasitic insects that live off the vital forces of the trees on which they settle. Every day the plants begin to lose energy and eventually stop growing.

The damage caused to plums by these insects is enormous:

The branches of the plums begin to dry out and the leaves stick together.
The sticky coating created by scale insects serves as a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi.
Plums shed fruits and buds.
Tree immunity is reduced.
The bark becomes cracked.

If you let the situation take its course, the plum will die. Parasites spread quickly to other plants; the entire orchard, including various fruit trees, can be infected. Pest control must begin immediately.

External signs of pest damage

Trees attacked by scale insects have a number of signs:

The bark acquires a characteristic shine.
The leaves curl, dry out and stick together.
The plant stops growing.
The plum begins to shed its fruits and buds.
On the leaves and stems you can see small brown tubercles that are difficult to clean off the surface.

The choice of pest control methods depends on the number of affected areas.

How to deal with scale insects

The insect is resistant to low temperatures and can withstand frosts down to -35 C. The protective shell protects the scale insect from external influences. The fight against this pest cannot be called easy. If the scale of infection is large, the use of insecticides cannot be avoided. Methods of combating scale insects that have settled on plums depend on the degree of damage to plants.

Chemicals

Insecticides can completely destroy scale insects. But they are used in advanced cases. Do not use chemicals during the fruiting period. Pesticides will get into ripe fruits, which will become unsuitable for food.

Important! A one-time treatment with insecticides is not enough. 3-4 sprayings are carried out with a break of one week.

“Aktara”, “Confidor Extra”, “Aktellik” are proven chemicals against insect pests. Scale insects are capable of developing immunity to drugs, so it is recommended to change them periodically.

Biological drugs

If an insect was noticed on plums during the fruiting period, pesticides cannot be used; biological methods of pest control are used:

Remove all infected branches and shoots and burn them.
The root circle is completely cleared of grass, shoots and fallen leaves, 3 cm of soil is removed and the tree is sprinkled with wood ash.
The formed growths along with moss and pieces of bark are removed from the trunk.

You can find biological products on store shelves; they are safe for fruits and show good results in pest control:

"Avertin";
"Nemabakt";
"Fitoverm";
"Aversectin".

The garden is under quarantine. Until the insect is defeated, it is not recommended to plant new fruit trees.

Folk recipes

Traditional methods of combating scale insects are effective only at the initial stage of infection, but they can be used during the period of plum fruiting:

Dissolve half a piece of laundry soap in 10 liters of water and wipe the bark and leaves with the solution.
Dilute soda ash in a ratio of 10 g of powder per 10 liters of water, spray the plants with the solution through a spray bottle.
Onion peels, tobacco and wormwood - infuse fragrant herbs for 24 hours in a bucket of water. The resulting product must be filtered and sprayed on trees affected by scale insects.

Experienced gardeners release insects onto the affected trees that feed on scale insects: ladybugs and ichneumon beetles. This method is perfect for preventing and protecting plants from small pests.

Reasons for appearance

A healthy plant is capable of producing antibodies against pests. They are able to naturally create a protective layer and repel insects. In this case, the scale insect appears on trees that have weakened immunity.

Most often, the parasite starts when there is insufficient lighting, watering or severe dry air. Scale insects are not able to influence the fruiting and development of a healthy and well-groomed plant.

general description

The scale insect is a sucking insect, inactive or generally motionless, belonging to the family of Hemiptera. Its distinctive feature compared to other garden pests is the presence of protection on the body in the form of a dense shield that can be easily separated from the body. This covering may consist of 1-2 larval skins, supplemented by a secretory part. The color of the shield of a living female scale insect is brown, while that of a dead one is dark brown, almost black.

Female scale insect

The female does the most damage - she has neither legs nor eyes. The pear-shaped body is milky white in length and reaches no more than 4 mm. Visually, the colonies of this parasite resemble natural growths on trees or stem lenticels.

Important! Natural companions and enemies of scale insects are 27 species of other insects - lacewings, bugs, mites, ground beetles, syrphid flies, etc.

What trees and shrubs are affected by the pest?

There are practically no restrictions for this parasite among trees and bushes. The soil, garden, winter greenhouse and indoor flowers may also be attacked.

Most often, the comma-shaped insect affects:

apricot;
quince;
thorn;
linden;
plum;
roses;
honeysuckle;
peach;
hawthorn;
mulberries;
rowan;
cotoneaster;
lilac.

The scale insect is also found on pear, cherry and sweet cherries. Currants, raspberries, cherry plums and apple trees are not all that the insect loves. There are more than a hundred names of flora that scale insects can feed on. Some varieties are capable of attacking even plants that secrete poison for protection.

Reproduction

The eggs, which are stored all winter, are laid by the female under the shield and die immediately. They are not afraid of frosts down to -32C. And as soon as the spring air warms up to +8C, the larvae (vagrants) begin to hatch. Usually this period coincides with the flowering of many garden trees and bushes - plums, apple trees, currants. They are very fussy because they can only survive for 48 hours without food. This explains their non-stop movement along the trunk in search of a place to obtain food. Having attached themselves, the adults lose mobility and soon the body of the larva is covered with wax-like fluff. After 2 weeks, molting occurs, and the skins become material for constructing the shield. It takes a month for a sexually mature adult female to form during intensive feeding and after the next molt.

Life cycles of different types of scale insects

Interesting! The number of males from the total population ranges from 18 to 36%. This is the reason for the development of the insect in two forms: parthenogenetic and bisexual. It is in the latter form that the insect is resistant to external influences, spreading to various types of plants.

Signs and danger of insects for fruit and berry plants

Despite their small size, scale insects can cause enormous damage to garden vegetation. Their danger is that they feed on juices until the shoots die. During the process of infection, the leaves begin to fall off and dry out, this is a sure sign of an attack. Before using chemicals, insects should be removed from protection by mechanical means. Otherwise, chemical treatments will be ineffective.

Most often, you can notice the presence of the parasite in the spring, when small active insects that do not have wax armor appear. In search of food, newborn bugs scamper along tree trunks, branches and foliage. At this moment, it is best to start the fight using chemistry. In this case, adult individuals can be seen attached to the lower part of the leaves, in the places where the leaves adjoin the branches or trunk. Inspecting the leaves, you can see small spots that will also be on the trunks.

Signs of infection

You can suspect that a plum has been infected by scale insects based on the following signs:

The appearance of yellow-brown scales on the shoots and leaves of the tree, which are very difficult to remove. They can be either slightly flattened or convex.
The bark loses its natural shine.
Formation of frozen juice smudges on plum branches and trunks.
The leaves stick together.
The branches of the tree dry up.
Plant growth slows down or completely stops.

If such signs appear, then you need to thoroughly inspect the plum tree and neighboring plantings in order to assess the criticality of the scale of infection. Based on this, pest control agents are selected.

Means for combating scale insects

Plum, acacia and other types of scale insects have reliable protection - a wax shield. This armor allows insects to protect themselves from the effects of poisons. Fighting scale insects in the garden with chemicals is quite difficult and not always effective. Despite this, it is possible to destroy an insect even in the last stages of life.

For information! You cannot remove insects with your hands, because by removing one individual, you can release dozens of babies from under the shell, which will hide and continue destruction.

Chemicals and biological products

Several methods can be used to control insects:

folk remedies;
chemicals;
mechanical cleaning.

The choice of methods is usually influenced by the level of infestation of vegetation, the population of the insect species and the number of crops affected. There are a number of chemicals that kill insects after several treatments without harming the plant itself and the fruit. To achieve better results, you can combine different types of chemicals.

"Aktellik"

Refers to phosbecides. It has an unpleasant odor and is considered poisonous to animals and humans. The chemical must not be used indoors. Manufacturers claim effective destruction of parasites after the first use. The product creates a protective layer, preventing the reappearance of parasites. Actellik is often used to treat seeds immediately before planting.

"Bitoxibacillin"

The product is based on live bacteria and is not hazardous to humans or animals. Bitoxibacillin is odorless and has a detrimental effect on scale insects. Treatment with this product is carried out several times with a short break. Properly process gardens at a temperature of at least +18. In the process of exterminating insects, we must not forget about the means of protecting the skin and mucous membranes.

"Bankol"

It is considered a contact-intestinal remedy against rodents and scale insects. It has a paralyzing effect on the nervous system of the parasite, as a result of which it dies within a few days after treatment. The drug is considered non-toxic to humans, has no odor and is not washed off by rainwater. The only negative is that it is not recommended to cultivate orchards.

"Aktara"

Aktara is considered one of the most effective means in the fight against scale insects. The substance is not capable of causing addiction to parasites and has a rather pungent odor. The chemical is not recommended for use in the area where bees are located. Do not use in closed or residential areas.

Folk recipes

Most often, folk methods are used to combat scale insects on indoor plants, greenhouses and small trees and bushes in the garden. If the parasite infestation is minor, the accumulation areas must first be washed with a soapy solution.

You can use a warm shower to wash off the pests and use a soft toothbrush (like a toothbrush) to clean the leaves as you go. When mechanically cleaning leaves, branches and trunk, the brush can be moistened in an alcohol solution (diluted with water and alcohol in a ratio of 2:1).

A solution of peroxide and alcohol is considered effective in the fight against the parasite. This mixture, harmless to humans, can corrode insects, leading to their death. In addition, this product is a plant food that accelerates growth and strengthens roots. To prepare it you need to take 3% peroxide - 50 ml, a liter of water and 2 tablespoons of alcohol

All components are diluted in water, soap or other soapy substance is added as an adhesive. The finished mixture can be used to treat plants. The solution is prepared immediately before use to avoid oxidative processes.

The following folk recipes for spraying can be a good alternative to chemicals:

Garlic and soap are crushed and mixed with water in a 1:1 ratio. A day after treatment, the plant is washed with a stream of water. Treatment is repeated every 3 days until the insects disappear;
onion tincture. Peel and chop 4 onions, add a small amount of water and leave for several hours;
infused hot pepper. You need to take 200 grams of pepper per 2 liters of water. Boil the pepper pieces in water for no more than 15 minutes, then leave for 24 hours. You need to prepare the spray mixture by taking 10 grams of tincture and 5 grams of soap per 1 liter of liquid.

Scale insects on plums - how to deal with the pest?

Fruit trees, including plums, attract the attention of a wide variety of insects. Descriptions of what plum pests look like and how to combat them, photos of possible enemies and a schedule of necessary measures will help the gardener be fully armed and preserve the harvest.

Plum moth

The main and most visible damage to the crop is caused by the plum moth, or more precisely by the caterpillars of small silver-gray or brownish butterflies no more than one and a half centimeters long.

The eggs laid on flower buds and buds, turning into pinkish-red caterpillars, move inside the ovary and grow, feeding on the pulp of the ripening plum. As a result, the ground under the tree is littered with unripe fruits, and those that manage to fill are spoiled inside by a voracious pest.

A harvest spoiled by the plum moth is of significantly worse quality, cannot be stored and is practically suitable for culinary processing.

The caterpillars that leave the fruits overwinter in crevices in the bark, and already in June they turn into a new generation of butterflies.

Although only caterpillars cause significant harm, the fight against the plum pest, in the photo, is carried out comprehensively and throughout the entire warm period of the year:

In early spring and at the green cone stage, trees are treated with insecticides.
From the veins and before the onset of cold weather, the tree trunk circles are regularly cleaned and loosened. Remove weeds and cut out root shoots.
To prevent the caterpillars from overwintering comfortably, sanitary pruning is carried out, dead bark is cleaned, and the trunks are whitened.
The fallen ovary is collected and burned.

If the presence of pests is detected when the drains are already being filled, protective equipment must be applied extremely carefully, checking the instructions and the decay time of the active chemical.

Ringed and gypsy moths

The caterpillars of these species of moths eagerly destroy foliage, inflorescences and buds. If a pest appears en masse, the damage from it can be devastating. Therefore, the fight begins in advance, when the butterflies lay their eggs, or in early spring before the leaves bloom, until the caterpillars themselves appear.

From the second half of summer, the caterpillars turn into pupae, hiding in cracks in the bark or in drying, curled leaves. The following will help prevent the spring spread of the plum pest shown in the photo and simplify the fight against it:

collection and destruction of fallen leaves;
sanitary treatment of the trunk and pruning of branches;
manual collection of spider nests with caterpillars;
destruction of eggs;
large-scale treatment of fruit trees with plant and chemical preparations.

Plum papilion

An inconspicuous, winged insect no more than a centimeter long does not appear to be a formidable enemy of plums, but its 5-mm white larvae can cause a significant reduction in yield.

The female lays eggs in the newly formed ovary, after which the larva actively grows inside the seed, feeding on it and causing the unripe fruits to fall off closer to mid-summer. If the carrion is left under the tree, the plum plum stalk will overwinter well. And with the beginning of flowering in the spring, the years of young insects ready to lay eggs will begin.

To prevent an attack, the fallen ovary is destroyed, and as an effective method of control, plum treatment is used after flowering, 7–10 days after the petals fall. Otherwise, the prevention and control of this plum pest has no special features.

Scale insects on plums: methods of control

When faced with scale insects or false scale insects, novice gardeners often cannot identify these pests in time, mistaking dangerous insects for frozen drops of gum or growths on the bark.

The fact is that both species are characterized by low mobility and excellent camouflage. By sticking to young shoots and leaf petioles, scale insects literally grow into the surface and cause harm by actively feeding on the plant’s juices. Only males and young individuals can move.

When plums are massively damaged, especially immature seedlings weaken, their foliage dries and falls, and sometimes the trees lose fruit and even die. If all measures to combat scale insects on drains are not taken in time, the situation will become more complicated. The pest multiplies quickly and produces sticky honeydew, on which sooty fungus willingly settles, making breathing difficult and interfering with growth.

Unlike the scale insect with a flattened shield, the false scale insect is more like a hemisphere. At the same time, it does not grow together with the bark, that is, it can be separated mechanically, and does not emit honeydew.

Measures to combat false scale insects on plums differ little from those taken when infected with scale insects. Insects should be removed by brushing and treating the shoots with a solution based on kerosene and laundry soap or soap-alcohol liquid.

If large areas are covered with pests, and home methods do not help, turn to chemical means of protection, carrying out several treatments against scale insects at weekly intervals.

Plum aphid

Green plum aphids are sucking pests that weaken plants and slow down tree growth. First of all, insects settle on young foliage and new, non-lignified shoots, creating a silvery-green swarming layer. The fight against the plum pest, as in the photo, is complicated by:

rapid reproduction;
the ability of females to fly from tree to tree;
dispersal of aphids by ants.

To prevent crop loss, in spring and autumn the crown is pruned, root shoots and fattening shoots are regularly removed, and trapping belts are installed and fruit tree trunks are whitened.

Insecticides also play a significant role. However, it is better to treat plums against aphids after flowering using natural preparations based on tobacco or soap infusion, mustard water or a decoction of tomato tops.

Black and yellow plum sawfly

All cultivated varieties of plums are susceptible to damage from the plum sawfly. The damage is caused by insect larvae that damage leaf blades and ovaries.

The black sawfly is activated during the swelling phase of the buds. The adult female lays eggs in the unopened flower, which turn into larvae. In the early stages of development, the pest feeds on the pulp of the ovary, and then infects the leaves, literally turning their openwork skeletons devoid of greenery.

The yellow plum sawfly, in addition to the plum itself, does not disdain other types of stone fruit crops. Traces of insect activity are visible on leaves and fruits. If you do not take urgent measures and do not engage in prevention, the defeat will be massive.

As a preventive measure, loosening the soil around the trunk under the entire crown of the tree is used. It is especially important not to neglect this in early spring and before the onset of cold weather. Before flowering, in addition to spraying with insecticides, mechanical removal of pests, which are shaken off onto a spread canvas or non-woven material, will help. In summer, it is necessary to mercilessly remove and destroy the affected fruits.

Signs of the appearance of scale insects on plums and methods of control using chemical and folk remedies

Source: https://sovhozik.ru/trees/sliva/shhitovka-na-slive-kak-borotsya-s-vreditelem

Rules for processing the garden and vegetable garden

If scale insects are found on an orchid and other inhabitants of the greenhouse, you can get rid of it with your hands. For this purpose, you need to inspect all the bushes and flowers, carefully separate the infected parts and take measures to destroy them. It is preferable to treat the affected areas with chemicals first to prevent the parasites from escaping. Afterwards the remains are burned.

Another way to combat insects is to attract beneficial predatory mosquitoes. After the scale insects in the area are over, these insects will independently continue to look for food.

These include:

wasps – parasites;
ladybugs.

If it is necessary to treat an orchard in order to preserve fruits and pets, you can initially try methods that have little toxicity. If their effectiveness is not noticeable, they should be treated with insecticides and chemicals.

If there are crops left in the garden that are not affected by scale insects, there is no need to spray them with chemicals. It will be enough to water them well, using biological material for fertilizer. You can also cultivate the ground around it to prevent scale insects.

Preparatory work

Scale insects are a pest that is quite difficult to destroy. For this reason, methods of combating scale insects must be chosen very carefully, since their shell reliably protects not only their offspring. It would be a good idea to get a metal brush and scraper, since the bark will need to be cleaned by hand.

Mature plants are quite difficult to clean from the parasite mechanically. Therefore, you also need to use chemicals.

It is necessary to strictly adhere to processing times, since a large part of success depends on this. Do not forget that chemical compounds can harm not only insects. Negative effects can be had on vegetation and humans, which makes it necessary to use special equipment. It is best to get gloves, goggles and a respirator to protect your mucous membranes. Having a quality sprayer is also important.

The main task of preparation is the purchase of the correct, effective chemical substance. It is necessary to purchase only approved drugs, since there are many fakes and cheap analogues that do not have any effect on parasites.

Treatment of plants and trees

Mechanical impact will help deprive the laid eggs of protection. In case of severe damage by scale insects, it may be necessary to remove the infected parts of the plants or remove the plantings completely. It is preferable to burn branches and other affected areas.

To combat the parasite on young seedlings, use mechanical cleaning and then wash them with laundry soap. The soil around the infected tree must be treated with a chemical. After several days, when the insects die out, it is best to throw away the top layer of soil and fill in a new one.

It is correct to spray the affected vegetation in the spring, when insects emerge from the protection of the shield. The best temperature for processing is considered to be at least +4 degrees Celsius. When spraying, it is ideal to completely cover the vegetation with a chemical solution. The systematics and number of treatments are determined by the number of insects and affected areas.

It is better to plan subsequent pest control activities so that they occur during the hatching period of the offspring, until they are covered with a shell. In this case, no more than a month should pass between sprayings.

Treating trees with chemicals after the appearance of the shield in young individuals is ineffective.

We introduce specialized preparations into the soil

Garden and vegetable soil must be treated, even if no insects are seen there.

You need to get rid of scale insects by watering the soil with chemicals:

Confidor is used to spray or water vegetation. The drug can be used for a long period. The main thing is that the poison accumulates in the leafy part, which means that the fruits do not absorb it. This procedure allows you to cultivate your home garden without harm or loss of harvest;
Aktara shows its effectiveness best when applied to the soil, but can also be used for watering vegetation. When fertilizing the soil, the protective properties are maintained for 2 months; for comparison, spraying allows protection for only a few weeks.

Prevention measures

Any disease is easier to prevent than to treat. This rule applies not only to humans, but also to plants. Prevention methods include:

Spraying trees in early spring and during flowering with insecticides.
Removing heavily infected, untreatable specimens from the garden.
Introduction of quarantine for the period of illness.
Careful inspection of new seedlings.
Settling on a plum tree with ladybugs.

Carrying out a set of preventive measures minimizes the risk of plant infection.

Scale insects are insidious and voracious insects. You should get rid of them immediately. If the degree of infection is high and the scale insect does not go away for a long time, the diseased tree is removed from the garden, part of the surface soil is removed and taken away from the garden plot.

Prevention of re-infection

When using preparations for scale insects on fruit and other trees, you need to carefully treat them and prevent their reappearance.

Prevention can be used as the initial method of removing parasites:

It must be remembered that sexually mature individuals are inactive, which means that it is necessary to stop planting new trees for a while. Especially in close proximity to infected crops;
buying seedlings from reliable sellers is also a kind of insect control. It must be remembered that most cases of infection occur due to the acquisition of infected seedlings;
autumn should be accompanied by digging up the soil, and spring by removing the remains of leaves and infected parts of trees and other vegetation.

These simple methods protect the area from the scourge of scale insects. Periodic inspections of the plant will prevent parasites from multiplying and will help preserve the harvest. Fighting scale insects is not an easy task, however, comprehensive control measures have a noticeable effect and allow you to achieve good results.

False scale insects on conifers, how to quickly and effectively get rid of the insect, read more in this article.

Scale insects on plums: methods of control

Scale insects are small insects whose females and larvae extract nutritious juices from plants. It often affects fruit trees, which negatively affects both the condition of the plantings and the harvest. To avoid this, the gardener must be familiar with methods of combating scale insects on plums.

Brief description of the pest

Scale insects (Latin name – Diaspididae) are a family of insects found throughout the world. They are known as pests of wild, cultivated and ornamental plants, causing great damage to gardening.

Science lists 2,400 species among them, of which the plum, comma-shaped and Californian scale insects most often infect plums.

The latter, despite its foreign name, is widespread in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and other neighboring countries.

Insects reproduce by laying eggs. Soon larvae emerge from them, and then adults. They are characterized by pronounced sexual dimorphism: females are very different from males both in appearance and in the characteristics of their life:

The body of females is protected by a hard shell - a rounded shield, reaching a diameter of up to several mm. Its color depends on the species and age of the individual. She has no legs, whiskers, wings or even eyes. The female scale insect spends her entire life in one place, clinging to a plum shoot.
The male looks completely different: he is a small winged midge with antennae, legs and eyes colored purple-red. The male individual circles around the plants, but does not cause them any harm: only females and larvae feed on plant juices.
The larvae molt several times, gradually becoming similar to adults. They need nutrients to grow, and they suck them from plum shoots. Starting from the second instar of the larva, the male sex appears divided into a head, chest and wing rudiments. Female individuals become overgrown with a dense shield, and their wings and eyes are also reduced.

Scale insects are visually similar to growths on the bark of a plum tree. They live mainly in colonies consisting of insects that differ in age. Single individuals are extremely rare.

Signs of infection

You can suspect that a plum has been infected by scale insects based on the following signs:

The appearance of yellow-brown scales on the shoots and leaves of the tree, which are very difficult to remove. They can be either slightly flattened or convex.
The bark loses its natural shine.
Formation of frozen juice smudges on plum branches and trunks.
The leaves stick together.
The branches of the tree dry up.
Plant growth slows down or completely stops.

Basic methods of struggle

The insect has a protective shell, which makes the process of fighting it labor-intensive. If scale insects have managed to multiply, then you cannot do without the use of chemical insecticides.

The plant is sprayed with them in 3-4 procedures until the scale insects are completely destroyed.

When there are very few pests or the crop is ripening, which does not allow the use of toxic substances, then folk or biological remedies can be used.

To make the fight easier or protect your garden from scale insects, you need to keep it in order:

trim and thin out the crown as necessary;
clean the trunk of dead particles of bark, moss and lichen;
cut off infected shoots and burn them;
remove growth in the root zone.

Each new plant brought to the site must be carefully examined and quarantined. The seedling should not be placed in the garden until it is completely free of pests.

Folk remedies

The fight against scale insects on plums can also be carried out using folk remedies. But such methods will bring the desired result only if there are very few insects. There are no compounds that are poisonous to humans in recipes for treating fruit trees, and their use of folk remedies is safe for health. Here are some of them:

A simple solution of 10 g of laundry soap shavings in 10 liters of water.
50 g of green soap diluted in 10 liters of water.
10 g of soda ash per 10 liters of water.
An infusion of “caustic” plants: garlic, walnut, shag and wormwood.
Emulsion of machine oil and soap solution. The optimal proportion is 1:10. Can be used once per decade.

Such products are used for spraying plums. Treatments, as when using chemicals, should be carried out at intervals of 7–10 days.

If there are very few scale insects, then the affected area can simply be wiped with a cotton swab or folded gauze soaked in one of the products.

Biological

Biological studies have identified natural enemies of scale insects, which are now used to combat the pest:

Ladybugs, and especially the reniform and two-spotted chylocorus, reduce the number of scale insects by 50–70% if released into the garden in May. One individual can eat approximately 700 larvae.
The small parasite Prospaltella perniciosi is also effective against the pest.
To destroy scale insects, you can use popular biological products containing nematodes or fungi: Aversectin, Avertin and Nemabact.

They do not contain toxic substances, so the crop will be safe after their use. Biological products do not harm the plum itself.

When choosing a method to combat scale insects on drains, it is necessary to correctly assess the scale of the infestation and the real threat. For better results, you can combine chemical, folk and biological drugs with each other. It is important to follow the instructions and not forget about regularity: if you miss one treatment, you will have to start all over again.

Source: https://beetlestop.ru/borba-so-shhitovkoy-na-slive/

Seasonal work

Plum is one of the most delicious and healing garden crops. It is important that the fruits are healthy and the harvests abundant, but not at the expense of environmental cleanliness.

Chemical pesticides should only be used when absolutely necessary . Insects cause the greatest harm to weakened and depleted plants in thickened crowns. The strength of a garden is ensured by many factors: the selection of zoned varieties, the optimal planting location, the formation of trees. In addition to general agricultural technology, direct protection from pests is needed.

List of seasonal events:

Regular collection of carrion.

Fallen fruits must be collected immediately before the pests return to the tree.
Shaking insects and damaged ovaries onto the bedding.
Using liquid odorous baits (fermented kvass, etc.).
Autumn digging (shallow) of tree trunk circles, updating mulch.
Annual application of wood ash to the root zone.
Early detection and destruction of aphids and mites - with the help of biological pesticides and folk remedies (add 40 g of laundry soap per 10 liters of solution to herbal infusions for better adhesion).
Spraying plum plantations with chemical pesticides - in case of invasion of serious pests in the current season or in previous years.

We use approved drugs according to the instructions. We comply with processing and waiting times.

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Finally I decided to write briefly about myself. I grew up in a village, or as they say now, an urban-type settlement. Grew up on the land. Since childhood I have loved berries, and I love growing them! I am well versed in gardening topics. Write questions in the comments, I will always answer them!!!

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Tags: Plum

Varieties of scale insects and false scale insects that attack coniferous trees

Scale insects and pseudoscale insects are closely related species of insects. It can be difficult to spot differences by eye. The first group has a flat shell. It is easily separated from the body when the parasite is removed from the plant. The false scale insect is completely removed from the needles. Its shield looks like a pea and is tightly attached to the body.

Coniferous trees are threatened by:

Scale insects – pine, juniper.
False scales - spruce, thuja, soft, acacia and others.

Most often, false scale insects and scale insects parasitize conifers, juniper, yew crops, hazel, fruit trees and shrubs. Possible infection of indoor flowers.

Females pose a great danger to trees. They settle on the surface a few hours after birth.

Spruce

As the name suggests, this parasite infects coniferous plants. The body of the female is covered with a round shiny shell with a diameter of 3-6 mm. Males are less common, measuring 1 mm in size. There are several subspecies of spruce false scale - small, large and Hungarian.

In July, females lay about 3,000 reddish eggs. They hatch into pinkish larvae. They stick to the lower surface of the needles or between the scales of the buds. In October the parasites turn brown. They overwinter in the tips of shoots or the last whorls. In the spring they turn into adult parasites.

Soft false scale

In nature, this species is found in the Caucasus, Transcaucasia and Crimea. It can live everywhere in greenhouses.

Characteristic external signs:

The body is in the shape of a wide oval, asymmetrical.
The false shield is flat.
The color is yellowish-brown. There are darker spots on the back.
Size 3 – 4 mm.

The soft scale insect is a viviparous species. The larvae disperse by crawling along plant branches. At this stage, the cephalosporium fungus is often affected. In addition to coniferous trees and shrubs, it infects citrus, palm, and orchid plants.

Tuevaya

Most often found in Crimea, the European part of Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus. It affects fir, spruce, thuja, pine, juniper, and yew trees.

Females of this species are spherical in shape, with a diameter of 3–3.5 mm. Covered with a shiny chitinous shell of yellowish-brown color. Males are rare. They have wings.

In May, females lay eggs. After a few weeks, the reddish-brown young hatch. The false scale insect on thujas overwinters under the bark of new shoots. The following spring, the larva develops into a mature parasite.

Any methods of combating thuja false scale insects are more effective while the pest is in the larval stage.

Acacia

This species is more often found on deciduous trees. Damages fruit crops - cherries, apples, plums, peach. You can see the acacia moth on berry bushes and hazel.

An adult female has a size of 3 – 6 mm. The body is oblong, red-brown, convex. Males have a more elongated shape. Their head is black, their body is covered with a white coating. Pseudoscale eggs are laid in May. The larvae overwinter on the lower surfaces of branches, in crevices of the bark.

Tips and tricks from experienced gardeners

In the fight against scale insects, it is necessary to take into account the advice of gardeners who have encountered this problem:

If the tree is more than 50% infected, it is already problematic to save the crop; it is recommended to prune the damaged areas.
For frequent infections, one drug can be used for no more than 2 years. After this period has expired, the pest may develop an addiction.
When removing scale insects, it is necessary to thoroughly water and feed the tree. This will boost immunity and speed up the effect of the drugs.

When planting seedlings, it is necessary to purchase planting material from proven places. This will reduce the chance of infection.

Scale insects and its types

The peculiarity of this insect is manifested in the presence of a protective shield consisting of the remains of the larvae’s scales, glued together with its secretions. Externally, such a shell is very similar to irregularities in the surface of tree bark, which makes visual detection of the pest difficult.

The size of the insect does not exceed 5 mm, its main activity is sucking juices from plants, so it is necessary to fight scale insects in the garden, otherwise, when it multiplies en masse, the bark, fruits and ovaries on the tree will be covered with scatterings of these pests. Insects also secrete honeydew, which becomes a breeding ground for sooty fungi, causing the affected plants to gradually dry out and die.

Signs of a scale insect settlement:

yellow spots appear on the leaves, then they turn yellow completely, curl and fall from the branches;
the bark cracks, thin and thicker branches begin to fall off;
the growth of the tree is inhibited, which can lead to its complete drying out and death.

Weakened trees are most susceptible to scale infestation; their appearance is also affected by excess nitrogen fertilizers, insufficient lighting of plants, lack of moisture, and dry air.

Types of scale insects In dacha and garden plots in central Russia you can find several types of scale insects:

Californian - affects fruit trees: apple, peach, plum, etc. On pear branches, the scale insect looks like small dots with colored dots or a rim.
Comma-shaped - has a white body, similar in shape to a comma, looks like a growth on the bark of a tree up to 4 mm in size, on top of the female there is a light brown shield. During reproduction, the female lays up to 100 eggs and dies, and the nest, covered with a protective shell, winters safely even in frosts down to -30˚C. In the spring, young “vagrants” of yellow color, microscopic in size, about 0.3 mm, quickly move along the tree trunk in search of food, at this moment they are easiest to detect. Then they stick to a certain place on the bark and “grow” to it, throwing off their legs.
Willow false shield - differs from other species in its wide and flat shell of white or gray color, size 1.8-2.5 mm. Females have a yellow-red body and lay purple-red eggs. The willow scale insect settles on currants, raspberries, gooseberries, as well as willow, bird cherry, aspen and other trees.

The most dangerous plum pests and how to combat them

Adding an article to a new collection

Plum pests cause enormous damage to the crop, but can be practically invisible. That is why it is important to know them in person and be able to effectively deal with them. We will tell you how to spray plums against pests.

The greatest harm to plums is caused by insects that damage the fruits. But some of them feed on young shoots and leaves of the plum tree and thereby weaken the tree so much that it is unable to bear fruit. How to recognize these voracious plum pests?

In bark and wood

What kind of pest gnaws holes in plum trees? wrinkled sapwood works .

Brownish-black beetles about 2.5 mm inhabit weakened trees (frozen, suffering from drought, sick).
The active years of sapwood occur in May–June.
At any time from mid-May to the end of summer, the female gnaws a chamber 1–3 cm 30 eggs there .
Through 10–15 days whitish larvae hatch and eat the winding passages inside the tree.

The gnawing of phloem by the larvae causes the branches to die off, followed by the death of the tree if the pests are not noticed in time.
After 2-3 weeks they pupate and soon new adult beetles emerge.
Damaged trees dry out partially or entirely.

Control measures

Plum trees of zoned varieties, which are provided with proper care, are rarely damaged by sapwood. If the pest has nevertheless penetrated, this can be noticed by the withering of the branch and the presence of a small round hole.
It is necessary to inject a strong insecticide solution into it ( Molniya Extra, Alatar, Inta-CM ) using a syringe with a long needle; then the hole is covered with varnish.
Sometimes it is necessary to cut out large areas of the affected crown.

The most dangerous plum pests and how to combat them

Plum pests have a detrimental effect on the tree, affecting shoots, leaves, buds and fruits. As a result of such negative impact, the plant crop weakens and cannot develop normally, and its yield sharply decreases. It is important to know how to properly deal with dangerous pests in order to protect the tree and preserve the harvest as much as possible.

Plum pests have a detrimental effect on the tree, affecting shoots, leaves, buds and fruits. The illustration for the article is used under the standard license ©ofazende.com

What is the danger to the plant?

Scale insects suck cell sap from plants, which negatively affects their growth and development:

in places of sucking, cells hypertrophy, healthy tissues become distorted, and various growths form;
this disrupts the decorative appearance of plants and significantly reduces the yield of fruit and berry crops;
sugary secretions of insects are a fertile environment for the development of saprophytic fungi that infect the plant with honeydew or blackworm;
sap flow is disrupted, which leads to necrosis of the phloem, then drying out of individual parts (branches, leaves) and, finally, to the death of the entire plant.

The scale insect does not pose a danger to humans. If only it causes irritation and nervousness with its huge populations on your favorite plants. Fruits from trees that are under their sight can be eaten after thorough rinsing under hot water. They often lose their taste and are poorly stored due to disturbances in sap flow.

Californian scale insect on apple trees. What to do?

Lisa, hello! I already wrote to you that I have also been fighting this scourge for several years. In principle, a young tree with a small crown can be completely freed from scale insects. But first, about prevention: 1) Scale insects spread in 3 ways: migration of strays, transfer with planting material and transfer with grafting material. 2) In the middle zone, tramps appear once in the first half of summer. They do not move very far and die in large numbers, eaten by predatory insects. It is possible that they did not have time to reach the neighboring trees. 3) Thus, the best protection for healthy trees in the presence of infected ones is to avoid grafting from diseased trees and to install adhesive trapping belts on both healthy and diseased trees. Spatial isolation of infected trees (branches should not touch branches of healthy trees).

Treatment for scale insects includes at least 3 stages during the summer season: 1) In the spring, with the onset of warm weather, but before the buds open (at the moment of swelling or, in extreme cases, along the green cone), treatment with 3-5% “Preparation 30”. Trees need to be literally washed until the solution drips over the entire surface and on all sides of the branches. This will greatly reduce the number of overwintered larvae. 2) A couple of days after the end of flowering, pour young trees under the root with Aktara solution (4-6 ml per 10 liters). Of course, adults can do it, but it will be a little expensive. This will additionally poison the scale insects remaining after spring treatment and reduce their harmfulness and fertility. 3) 10-15 days after the end of flowering of late varieties of apple trees, spray the trees with potent systemic insecticides that penetrate well into the vascular system of the tree. This will kill some of the hatched strays by contact and poison the remaining ones through the tree sap they absorb. This stage is very important. An adult, mature scale insect does not live long, only 1 season. The larvae overwinter under the “baby” shield. If they are destroyed at the moment of vagrancy, then there will be no one to reproduce. Previously, I used different contact preparations (Fufanon, Decis, Bi-58, Fitoverm). But it was of little use. Last year I used Aktar. It was not possible to completely remove the scale insects. But it became noticeably smaller. This year I used Volifam and Movento-Energy. So far I'm happy with the result. Live scale insects are not visible on the shoots. The apples are clean.

In our case, the matter is complicated by the fact that the scale insect gives up to 3 generations in our long summer. But it will not be possible to use such long-lasting chemicals close to the time of harvest ripening. So, I’m afraid that closer to autumn I’ll see characteristic red dots on apples again...

Hello. Is this infection a scale insect? Several years of struggle, to no avail. Spreads quickly to neighboring trees. Red Delicious variety. Voronezh.