Magnolia Scale
Magnolia scale is a large soft-scale insect that attacks Magnolia trees by attaching and feeding off nutrients in the branches. It is most noticeable in late spring and summer once a substantial infestation has set in. The insect is very small in early spring, so it can be hard to detect.
What Is Magnolia Scale?
![](https://dawsons.fydapps.com/app/uploads/2020/12/ScaleInsects1-700x500-1-e1606931703490.jpg)
Magnolia scale are insects that feed with their tube-like mouth parts on the vascular system of trees, where nutrients and fluids are transported. Magnolia scale will feed and then drop a sticky syrup like substance called honeydew (insect waste). This honeydew serves as a growing medium for sooty mold fungi leaving everything underneath with a black coating. The honeydew will also attract bees and ants to the tree. Scale insects rarely kill the tree but will open up the opportunity for wood-boring insects.
What Are The Symptoms Of Magnolia Scale?
– 2mm to 1/2 inch scales on trees
– Large quantities of sticky “Honeydew”
– Crawlers which appear in September
– Premature leaf drop, yellowing of leaves and sooty mold buildup
– Branch die back
![](https://dawsons.fydapps.com/app/uploads/2020/12/ENT_61_jandon_magnolia_scale-1-e1607543036832-300x300.jpg)
![](https://dawsons.fydapps.com/app/uploads/2020/12/C422DE5D-B204-464B-869C-90FBC1A9C2AE_original-1-scaled-e1607542986577-300x300.jpeg)
![](https://dawsons.fydapps.com/app/uploads/2020/12/MagScale_immfemales-1-e1607542898339-300x300.jpg)
![](https://dawsons.fydapps.com/app/uploads/2020/12/1000334997_1000013406_1505368764-1-e1607543397806-300x300.jpg)
How Is It Treated?
It is ALWAYS better to be proactive in caring for your trees! Even if you have no infection at all. A springtime treatment of imidaclopid as a basal drench, before bud break, is a great preventative treatment to keep these nasty pests away! If you have an established infection, a trunk injection of acephate followed up with imidacloprid should be performed when the tree is fully leafed out.
– Chemical insecticide sprays when crawlers are present
– Sprays to control overwintering life stages
– Trunk injections for scale control and tree nutrition
– Soil drenching