Scale Eating Ladybird, also known as Rhyzobius lophanthae scientifically, is generally used to control Citrus Red Scale insects. Almost 40% of the Clemson Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic sample submissions for home landscapes during 2012 and 2013 were scale insect pests, and of these, almost 90% of the species were the more difficult to control armored scales. Control Scale Insects. The cover of the male scale is elongated, smaller and paler than that of the female. Controlling the Citrus Red Scale is an important step that should be taken to avoid the damage caused by scales. They are usually green or red, although they can be nearly any color, and are more mobile than scale insects. Although citrus is the main crop damaged by Red scale, it can also be found infesting 77 different species of plants. Scale insects are common pests of shade trees and shrubs. California red scale has a reddish-gray body while citricola scales have a spotted gray appearance. More than 60 different kinds occur in Indiana, yet they are often overlooked or ignored until tree or shrub branches “mysteriously” start to die. The reddish-brown scale cover of the adult female is about 2 mm across. Female scale insects go through three general life stages: egg, nymph, and adult. Control of California Red Scale and Other Scales Heavy infestations of Red scale will stress citrus trees and reduce yield. Research in the Sundays River Valley. Adult female armored and soft scale insects are sedentary and wingless and produce offspring. Aphids, small, soft-bodied insects excrete honeydew as well. Recommendations for the Economic Impact: California red scale control costs about $100 per acre per treatment and with increasing pesticide resistance, some growers are spraying up to three times per year.With approximately 300,000 acres of citrus in the state, the annual cost of control is enormous. Chilocorus ladybird beetles are specialist feeders on a range of hard (armoured) scale insects such as white louse scale, red scale and San José scale. Dogwoods (Cornus spp.) Red scale has a thin, circular, leathery covering over the soft, flattened, shield shaped, creamy-yellow insect. The life stage most susceptible to control is the first instar nymph, called a crawler. Immature stages Sooty mold, a fungus, will often grow on the honeydew causing unsightly dark spots on the leaves and interfering with the plant’s ability to absorb sunlight. High scale levels can even kill branches and entire trees. Male scale insects are morphologically different from females. Many armored scales are serious pests of ornamental shrubs, trees, groundcovers and turfgrasses in South Carolina. How to Control Scale Insects on Dogwoods. I. Upon closer examination, these branches are likely to be covered with small bumps that are actually scale insects. 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