Scale infestations are more prone to occur on stressed magnolia trees. A tree that doesn't receive adequate moisture is particularly vulnerable, just like others who have various illnesses. Trees that get excessive fertilizer appear to be more susceptible to developing severe cases of scale. So you must identify an infected tree by its early signs and symptoms to start Magnolia Scale Treatment.
Because the crawlers are so tiny, around the size of a pinhead, adult bodies are the easiest to identify. They can be brown or white, depending on how old they are. Magnolia scales are often mistaken for fungi since they have few characteristics that indicate they are an insect. You might only have an aphid infestation if the limbs of your tree are still intact and you see some little insects on the undersides of the leaves. But, magnolia scale is most likely present if there are bumps on the branches that range in color from white to brown. As a warning of a more serious infestation, keep an eye out for withering branches and fading foliage.
The top 5 ways to get rid of the magnolia scale are discussed below:
1. Hand-Pick Insects
The magnolia scale belongs to the soft scale category of scale insects, which includes both armored scales and soft scales. When you see the insects, you can remove them by hand. Insects in their nymphal stage that appear as lumps on twigs must be readily removed in the spring. Eliminate crawlers when they reappear in the late summer and early fall. In smaller shrub-sized plants, where you can reach most branches from the ground or using a stepladder, try to remove bugs physically. For huge, mature trees, it gets more difficult but is not impossible.
2. Use horticultural oils or soaps
Many horticultural soaps and oils, such as neem oil, can smother insects when they are in their crawling stage in the late summer. These are ineffective against the adult insects that are active at other times of the year. However, you will need several applications to completely control the infestation. In the early spring or before March, before the overwintering nymphs start to move around, apply inert oils to coat them.
3. Eliminate the Affected Branches
If the infection only affects a few twigs or the tips of branches, it is possible to eradicate the scale by chopping off and destroying the affected stems. If you find the infection pretty early on, this remedy works well.
4. Use a pesticide to mist
You can remove scale insects at the crawler stage with chemical insecticides. The scale insects are quite resistant to contact with pesticides once they pass the juvenile stage and develop a strong exoskeleton. As a result, the optimal time to spray for scale is in the late summer; traditionally, magnolia scale is sprayed around September. Early in September, apply the first spray treatment, and then 10 to 14 days later, apply a second treatment. Pesticide-killed scale insects don't typically fall off the tree when they die. So you need to brush them off manually.
5. Employ an internal pesticide
Insecticides with a systemic effect, like those containing imidacloprid, can also be effective against the magnolia scale. The finest results for this strategy come from soaking the root zone in the first few days of May.
After all, the best defense against scale insects is to keep the tree healthy, particularly by giving it regular watering and mulching it to preserve soil moisture. As soon as you see any diseased or injured limbs, remove them. You may also contact an expert who will assist you with the best Magnolia Scale Treatment.
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