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What is the best way to deal with scale insects infesting a blood orange tree?

Three ways to deal with scale insects

Cultural Control:
To minimize scale problems, inspect plants before purchase or installation. If some scales are found, prune off the infested branches or leaves. Destroy any culled or discarded plant material, and thoroughly clean the area where the infested plants were located (especially important in greenhouses and nurseries). Scale insects often thrive in warm, humid environments, so increase air flow or decrease plant density in the area to make conditions less conducive. Avoid over-fertilizing; scale insects often lay more eggs and survive better on plants receiving a lot of nitrogen.

Biological Control:
Under natural conditions, predators (ie., ladybird beetles, green lacewings) and parasitoids (ie., tiny wasps) can suppress scale populations enough so that insecticide use is unnecessary. Some parasitic fungi can also reduce populations. However, sometimes these natural enemies are killed by adverse weather or pesticide applications, or scales infest areas where the natural enemies don’t exist, which may lead to a scale outbreak. Scales that have been killed by a parasitoid usually have a small, round, pin-head sized hole in them. Predators tend to make more jagged holes when feeding. If signs of parasitism or predation are present, try to preserve the natural enemies and use less-toxic, more selective controls (e.g., horticultural oils) rather than broad-spectrum insecticides. If possible, delay applying a pesticide and give the beneficials a chance to suppress the pest population.

Chemical Control:
Some insecticides labeled for scale insect control are listed in Tables 1 and 2. Timing an insecticide application properly is important. Most contact insecticides cannot penetrate the waxy covering on scale nymphs and adults, so the crawler stage is usually the best target. Monitor the crawler emergence with sticky cards, tape wrapped around a branch, or by putting an infested shoot or leaf into a baggie and watching for crawler movement. Crawler activity often coincides with the flush of new plant growth in the spring. However, some scale species may have overlapping generations with an extended crawler emergence period. Plants with a history of persistent scale problems (ie., camellia, hibiscus, holly, Ixora) may be treated after new growth hardens in the spring, but before scales mature. If possible, prune infested plant parts off first to allow greater penetration of insecticides into the foliage. Spray the plants thoroughly, so that the insecticides drip or “run off” from the upper and under sides of leaves, twigs, and plant stems. Using a sticker-spreader may increase coverage and efficacy. Soil drenches of a systemic insecticide may also work well. Reapplications may be necessary, depending on the product used. Horticultural oils kill all stages of scales that are present at application, and often give good control. Oil products labeled as summer, superior, or Volck oil are high grade and may be used on tolerant plants during either the growing or dormant seasons, but at different concentrations. Refer to the product label for guidelines on plant sensitivity and temperature limitations. Failure of contact sprays often results from not timing the applications to coincide with crawler activity. Even when sprays are properly timed, repeated applications may be needed if crawler activity extends over time, or if populations are heavy and crawlers hide under old waxy scales. In addition, even after armored scales are treated and killed, their waxy outer coating may remain on the plant material for weeks. There are currently no methods available to remove the waxy coverings, except by physically rubbing the scales off. When soft scales die, they often fall off the plants. Dead and living scales can be distinguished by a simple test. Squeeze some scales – dead scales are dry, but live scales exude body fluids.

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