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Wed, Sep 28, 11 at 21:21
| Today I noticed a bunch of tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) saplings on our property that were covered in warty bumps and black junk. Research told me that we had a tulip tree scale (insect) infestation. We've got a terrible problem with ants down there too, and they were also on/around the scales. There are some beautiful, mature trees on the property. Can tulip tree scales kill my big trees? We couldn't possibly spray all of them. |
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| Yes sounds very much like Tulip Tree Scale. Ants and bees love to eat the sticky honeydew that scale secretes. Ants will also protect scale, and aphids from predators so they can have the secreted honeydew. If the saplings have the scale then it is likely that the large trees also have them. Identify them to make sure. Yes they can kill a tree. The saplings you can treat with horticultural oil when the crawlers hatch. You can treat your big trees with Imidacloprid. The organic gardeners are going to take offense with this recommendation as it is toxic to bees and some insect predators. If you do the Imidacloprid right, or have it done then it will completely rid the trees of scale for at least two years. So the trees will live and then supply countless future bees with pollen, and continue to filter pollutants out of the air. On large trees this chemical can take several weeks to reach the top of the trees so if they are already in a state of heavy decline from the scale there is a chance that it will not get up to kill the scale before it is too late. You say you can't treat all the saplings so you can choose the best and keep them scale free. Scale usually builds up when plants are under stress and they have had their natural predators reduced by the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Killing predators is often accomplished by mosquito control companies, other pest control companies, or by homeowners themselves who use broad spectrum pesticides. I have run across many so called IPM companies that treat with Bifenthrin which is a notorious killer of scale predators. True Bifenthrin is listed as a scale control and will kill them, but only for a very short time when the crawlers are active, any other time it encourages scale. There are many good articles on the web about how to encourage and maintain good predator populations. Your local extension service should also have good information about predator management in your area |
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