I was going to list them, but I have to fix dinner tomo night. ;-) How about 8,000 species? Some types of scale prefer certain plants, like pine scale or euonymous scale, and others are much less selective, being equally comfortable terrorizing a wider selection of plant material.

Al

Thanks for the response. That many, huh? Should I feel better about scale on Schefflera? Is tossing this plant enough or do I need to buy something, assuming other plants are susceptible? This showed up seemingly overnight, but I'm sure that's not the case, even though I look for this kind of thing, I just saw it yesterday.

Hmmmmmm....those lesions look remarkably unscale-like to me. Can you scrape them off cleanly with your fingernail? These look like an eruption from beneath the dermal layers.

I really don't think that you've been blessed with one of the less than 1000 different species of these insects found in North America.

Oh, I assumed the worst. Don't know what you mean by cleanly, but here's some before/after, multiple posts.

Don't know if this pic is worth looking at or not.

Last pic, the after.

I don't know, purple...these bumps just aren't screaming scale insects to me.

Al or anyone else want to chime in? These still like corky aedema lesions or eruptions to me.

Looks like normal anatomy to me, too. Young bark like that in your picture is covered by a protective epidermal layer - just like leaves. As stems & branches age, the epidermal layer, cortex, and primary phloem become separated from the inner tissues by formations of cork. As this cork layer thickens, the cells die and become conspicuous because they become separated from their water and nutrient supply, which causes them to change color. What you're seeing is the beginning of the natural transition of dermal cells to mature bark.

Al

Yep, all my scheffs have these.

Oh that rocks. Thanks for the replies, good news comes while dinner is on the grill!! I thought it looked like little tiny scales, but my eyesight isn't what it used to be, even with the aid of a blown-up picture. Last time I saw scale in person was on one of my Mom's majesty palms a few years ago (knock wood.)

Purple, you live in a part of the country (the deep South) where scale insects abound! It would be unusual if you didn't find them on camellias, hollies, palmettos, pittosporum, magnolias, oaks, and a whole slew of the typical plants found in the semi-tropical landscape.

Fortunately, there are plenty of parasitoids flitting around that help keep them under control.

lol
Al you kill me, i was thinkin 'thats Not scale'....thats just Sheff,,
but i wait a min er so, and Now i know exactly WHAT it is, Why it is, how it gets there,
What its called, and everything its had for lunch in the past week too! hehe
man, its so great having you kids onboard. :)

rhizo,
hey watch the language pls! lol

LOL silentsurfer! It was chicken on the grill, btw - if you need any more details.

heheee, too smooth Purple,, i needed it tho, Thanks.

(tiger bark?) ficus are what get me, every little bump on their bark 'looks' like scale to me. ...ive scraped away my share of healthy bark, beleive it.

i'd luv to see an overall of your Sheff if ya snapped any,
ya know,, so i can see what ones 'sposed ta look like!? :)

{{gwi:3149}}

Al

Wow! Is that a single-trunk plant, Al? How long have you been working this one?

Silent, I don't mind looking silly for freaking out about nothing. We couldn't bring Mom's majesty palms back to health when they got scale although I admit, neither of us know much about what to do about it. Spider mites and aphids I can deal with, but I'm very afraid of my plants getting scale or thrips or anything else I've not successfully dealt with before. I'm sure the folks here would walk me through it though.

Mine was a little 6" baby when I got it last spring. There were 3 individuals in the pot but I gave one away when I repotted this year. I like being able to see the trunk but after seeing Al's plant, will see what I can do for a little more fullness, like halfway to looking like Al's. That would be perfect for what I like to see. I might separate them next spring and try to "bonsai" one of them.

Purple, I had no idea there were different types of Scale either..Wow!

But, like Rhizo said, scale doesn't scream out at me. I think the brown you're seeing is part of the anamomy like Al said.

Al, thank you. We've had Euonymus Bushes out front ten or so years..This summer, two out of three, 'third is on the other side of the yard and healthy,' remaining two are doing poorly.
When I checked leaves, it first looked like powdery mildew, but after closer inspection, brown bugs lingered on both plants..

We cut one back to the soil line, but wonder if that'll help.

So, I'm going with Euonymus Scale. Since one of the two is cut back, 'hoping it returns next year w/o pests.' if the second appears to have these insects, or ruined foliage, that too will either be cut back or dug up. I don't want nearby perrenaials catching scale, if they haven't already.

Purple, don't know if this is true, but I've read mealy and scale are related. Toni

"different types of Scale"

'Twas just a desperate thought but for once, one of those turned out to be true! But not sure if this necessarily means what I hope it does. Do scale insects specialize in certain host plant families or genus'?

While trying to find out, I did find an interesting article at CO State Univ about how lady bugs have specialized diets, and this similar article about predatory bugs in general. So if one can ID their lady bug, might it be a clue about what pests are present?

Ok, I'm lost in the search trenches, and my computer (which is not old but still sucks!!) rarely successfully loads a .pdf page, so further hindered...

Since it's Scheffs and palms that show up with scale most often, seems good to know if scale found on one or the other are able to move to other plants. How afraid of their spread should one be if they show up? Afraid for all other plants, or certain ones?

Any info, anecdotes, pertinent links appreciated, preferably not .pdfs.

Purple, don't have an answer to your first question, but yes, if Scale is on one plant, they'll 'definately' travel to other plants.

Maybe you haven't read the post I left about my Olive and two citrus on either side of the olive.

Back in 1999, I purchased an Oleo/Olive tree. It arrived at night, so instead of isolating, 'no room,' it went between two citrus trees.

While misting, I noticed brown spots on Olive's leaves..Took a closer look and wouldn't you know it...hundreds of scale..the two, closest citrus branches were covered as well. Scale hadn't infested the entire citrus trees, but the two branches were bad, and eventually both citrus would be covered.

I sprayed with Fish Emulsion, as instructed from a FL citrus nursery 'acquaintance,' I used to buy citrus..she told me about using FE as an insecticide and preventative. To this day, 13-yrs later, nary a Scale on any plants..
I spray with FE at least twice a year, also as a preventative while plants are indoors..

Toni

Purple, the bumps on your Schefflera look normal to me too. I'm not totally convinced this is the transition to mature bark, though. Under the right conditions Scheffleras can produce aerial roots and these bumps would become those adventitious roots if the stem touched the soil or a suitable damp surface. That's why they are so easy to root from cuttings. They are already trying to layer themselves. I've seen them growing practically as vines in the tropics with a naturally grovelly habit, despite the name arboricola.

Thanks for the inputs.

I'd like to see something like that, flora!

Sorry I didn't see that post, Toni. No interest in those plants but the scale story is helpful.

Purple, thought you liked citrus???

The point is, FE killed scale on both plants. Before plants come indoors, they're sprayed w/FE and a few other ingredients, 'non-chemical,' and no pests..

Mealy is a different story..they're the worse.

Thanksfully, your Scheff is pest-free.

For eating I like citrus, but it's not quite warm enough here. You see these things wrapped in burlap & I don't want to bother with something like that.

Thanks for the votes of confidence!