What the HECK is this stuff growing on my tree? Skeeves me out...

Hey guys,

I'm growing an Enterolobium Cyclocarpum from seed. This one is a couple of years old, and it's covered in these little weird looking "things". I'm trying to figure out what they are.

I don't know if it's being leeched from the tree, or if these are some kind of weird insect eggs. Just looking at it makes me itchy all over.

This tree isn't from around this area I don't think, so if this is some sort of weird invasive bug that I've just helped to breed, let me know and I'll burn this sucker down.

Please see the attached images.

Thanks guys!!!

 

Ok, I'm pissed. I just ordered 72,000 ladybugs from California. Those bugs are going to be a delicious breakfast/lunch/dinner for these lady bugs. See how those bastards like it...

Anyone know what this crap is? Gross... just looking at the picture makes me itchy all over.

 

Todd82ta

Looks like a scale insect of some sort. you will have to physically remove them

use the gotcha method
soak a tissue in insecticidal soap then with a medium amount of pressure make scale insect marmalade by rubbing the stem with the tissue.

scream I gottcha!! then repeat as necessary (usually 2-3 times at 10day intervals) to clear up the infestation.

as they have a hard shell on them spraying will only wash off their backs and they will smile at you and go on their merry way. you have to remove the shell and insect completely. get into all the nooks and crannies to ensure there are no survivors hiding away to reinfest the plant.

This way its safe and no unnecessary nasty spray chemical are being used

 

Would a cotton bud dipped in Methylated spirits work for this. ??? probably have the wrong insect.

Liz

 

This is a decent intro to scale insects:
http://bromeliadbiota.ifas.ufl.edu/introscale.htm

Ladybugs, nematodes and parasitic wasps (and I'm sure others) are used in control of these scale insects and their relatives.

Ralph

 

The bastards!

Well, I ordered 72,000 lady bugs, FedEx 2-Day from this place in California (I ordered 36,000 from them a couple of years ago for an aphid infestation on my tomatoe and pepper plants).

It was a bit overboard, I suppose a couple could have done the trick... but it's so much better to just attack them with brute force and massive armys of ladybugs.


Thanks guys.

In the mean time, I'll probably wipe them down... ugh...

 

72,000 !!!

Hey, our home is up for sale. When we relocate, please move next door to us so we can be in the path of your overflow.

Cheers !

 

Yeah, it's pretty cool... they send them to you in a vented box all inside an old pillow case with some vegetation stuff inside. They will go hog wild on this tree, there is scale all over it. I'm wondering if I should even bother trying to clean the tree in the mean time. I mean, they're going to be hungry after their 2-day flight over here.

 

I am amazed that these insects like it according to the article below the wood is used to make insect resistant window sills etc. Is this a native of mexico. When I first looked at it it looked like our blackwattle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterolobium_cyclocarpum
Liz

 

I think it's probably resistant to carpenter and termite style insects.

I actually created and wrote most of that page (snagging info and re-working it from other sites). The picture of that Lizard on the Enterolobium Cyclocarpum tree is the VERY same tree as the one I posted up above. Of course that was almost 2 years ago... you can see how much larger it's gotten. Hahah

 

I think ladybugs prey on aphids not all insects. The ladybugs that you've ordered may not be effective on the scale. The manual removal of scale using Q-tip and methylated spirits or rubbing alchol is very effective.