What does cottony maple scale look like?

What does cottony maple scale look like?

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.

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.

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 deciduous plants. The cottony maple scale is one of the largest and most conspicuous soft scale insects that attack ornamental plants.

How do you identify scale pests?

Scale insects are particularly hard to treat because of the hard or waxy shell they use to protect themselves. Look for sticky sap, black mold, round-ish bumps (on leaves and stems), and discolored leaves to help identify whether you have scale on your plant.

What is maple scale?

Cottony Maple Scale Description: 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.

Do maple trees get diseases?

Typically, maple trees can live healthy lives for up to 300 years, but sometimes they fall prey to illness. These can include diseases, such as tar spot, verticillium wilt, anthracnose, leaf scorch, powdery mildew, and lichen, to name a few.

What does scale infestation look like?

If you see clusters of tiny shell-like bumps on the stems or leaves of a plant, there is a good chance you are looking at a scale. The blackish mold is one of the most visible indicators of scale. Scale insects are usually divided into two groups: soft scale, and hard or armored scale.

What does scale damage look like?

Scale-damaged plants look withered and sickly. Leaves turn yellow and may drop from the plant. They may also have sticky sap or a black fungus on the leaves and stems. Several well-known remedies can be used to eliminate scales from a houseplant.

How do you treat a cottony scale?

Spray infested plants with a mixture of 1 cup of isopropyl alcohol and 1 tablespoon of insecticidal soap in 1 quart of water. (If your insecticidal soap is already mixed with water, add 1 tablespoon of alcohol to a pint of the diluted soap.) Spray every three days for two weeks.

What kills a maple tree?

Verticillium Wilt – Also called maple wilt, this fungus is a common and serious problem that can kill trees. This infection starts in the root system and works its way up the maple tree, resulting in cankers and dieback. Signs of maple wilt include scorched-looking leaves and diseased branches with unhealthy leaves.

Why does my maple tree have dead branches?

The dying branches could be caused by a girdling root. Work with an arborist to use an air spade to remove the soil around the base of the tree to look for a girdling root. Another potential cause of dying branches: phytophthora root rot. This widespread soil pathogen causes problems among landscape plants.

What kind of scale does a cottony maple have?

Mature females are pale to dark brown, convex, and about 3-6 mm long (Fig. 1). The cottony maple scale is most easily recognized by the characteristic egg masses on twigs and branches.

What kind of eggs does a cottony maple produce?

Cottony maple scale females produce large, cottony white egg sacs that are noticeable from a distance. (Photo by Jim Kalisch, University of Nebraska-Lincoln) Cottony maple scales commonly infest silver maple but can feed on several species including other maples, boxelder, basswood, birch, elm, and linden.

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.

When do cottony maple trees start to die?

These soft scales are usually first noticed during the summer months when the female produces a conspicuous white egg sac, called an ovisac, that appears as a ¼- to ½-inch long ball of cotton. Heavy infestations can result in branch dieback and in rare instances, tree death.