Lawn, Tree & Shrub PestsModerate concern
Scale Insects
Immobile bumps on stems and leaves that drain plants and breed sooty mold.
Photo: no rights reserved (CC0) · public domain/CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
How to identify it
Small, immobile, shell-like or cottony bumps (1–5 mm) clustered on stems and the undersides of leaves. Soft scales secrete sticky honeydew; armored scales look like tiny crusty discs.
Where it hides
Citrus, palms, hibiscus, gardenia, holly and many ornamental shrubs and trees throughout the landscape.
Signs you have them
- Bumps along stems and leaf veins that don't brush off easily
- Sticky leaves and sooty black mold
- Yellowing, wilting or dropping leaves
- Ants farming the scale for honeydew
Why it matters
Scale drains a plant's sap, weakening and slowly killing ornamentals, citrus and palms, while the honeydew fuels disfiguring sooty mold.
How Rhino treats it
Rhino's lawn & ornamental program treats scale with systemic and contact products and addresses the ants farming them, on a recurring schedule that keeps the landscape healthy.
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