Scale on beech

[JD3000]

Found these today, dont think they're beech bark scale, too big and not white and fuzzy. Soft scale, red goo and guts when squished.
Any ideas?

Also, is it bad that I rather enjoyed squishing them?

 

[mrtree]

They most definitely are not Beech Bark Scale. Look a little like terrapin but I am not sure of beech as a host.

Off to Check a couple of references.

 

[JD3000]

Agreed. I emailed them to Shetlar so we'll see.
There are LOTS of them on many large beech at this estate.

 

[mrtree]

I would be talking to John Davidson he is the scale man.

 

[JD3000]

Fair enough but BugDoc is local

 

[mrtree]

Yes but do you want the man who wrote the book or the man who read the book?

It looks like there are little crawlers now. Check the crawlers and if so nail them with 3% superior oil.

There is also a parasitized scale

 

[JD3000]

Several parasitized.
Saw the crawlers or early instars.

Nothing in Johnson and Lyon or in Cranshaw.

 

[JD3000]

Emailed Davidson too.

 

[JD3000]

Spraying here would be problematic as these beech are numerous and 80+. Big wooded expensive estate. That would definitely reduce the population greatly however.
Ornamental planted beech are clean from recent Agrilis treatments.

 

[mrtree]

So you have scale on Fagus grandiflora but not Fagus sylvatica?

Big wooded expensive estate means take their money. Superior oil is cheap and you can at least knock the population down even with a smaller sprayer.

 

[JD3000]

Correct.
And billing for my time is no ethical dilemma for me.

 

[oldoakman]

Squishing them is much more humane than suffocating them with oil.

 

[JD3000]

But far more time consuming...

 

[pcarborist]

Looks like Lecanium scale.

 

[JD3000]

Certainly lecanium-ish...which one? It is much more flat than lecanium species I've dealt with.
Never seen this critter in my neck of the woods.

 

[JD3000]

Dr Davidson got back to me. Says it looks like beech scale, Cryptococcus fagisuga.

Perhaps hasn't formed white flocculence yet???

 

[mrtree]

Wow, if Dr Davidson says beech I will believe him but never seen it. Definitely start superior oil now

 

[JD3000]

Yep yep. Next week

 

[mrtree]

Talk to this guy: http://treedoctor.msu.edu/

He has published a magazine article on BBD control in Michigan but I do not see it on his website.

Dormant oil does seem to have some beneficial control of the scale but you need to be diligent spraying in the fall, each and every year. Once the (neo) nectria is in the trees always seem to decline.

One USDA map shows the (neo) nectria entering Ohio from the Pennsylvania end

 

[JD3000]

Thanks.
I downloaded his publishings on BBD some time ago.
Good info on IGRs, Imida, and oils.

We've also gotten about 100+/- black bears from PA now. Kind of cool.