My Styrax japonica trees are full of these scale-insect like pupae, laid generously on the undersides of the leaves. What are they and should I do anything about them? Thanks!
Look up control measures, I think you will find that you are told to spray during crawler stage but maybe there is something you could try on the adults also.
I sprayed the trees with Safer's Insecticidal Soap, which lists "soft brown scale" as a target organism. I will watch the situation and let you know what happens! Regards, Janet
Those look like Snow Scale, so Safer's may or may not work. I've had great luck with a mixture of aspirin dissolved in mentholated spirits.
It may also be Cottony Maple Scale. Does anyone know if we have an entomology dept. in the Lower Mainland that identifies these sorts of things?
Insecticidal soap is generally ineffective against adult scale like the ones seen in the picture; it is best used to control the juvenile crawlers. I believe horticultural oil would be a better choice.
