This blog topic is being prompted by a number of customers over the past couple of weeks coming into the garden center with samples and asking what it is on their crape myrtles.<\/p>\n
Crape Myrtle Bark Scale is a problem that is becoming more prevalent in Virginia and throughout the Richmond area. Originally from Asia, CMBS has spread across the southeastern United States, probably through the movement of infested crape myrtle stock in the nursery trade. CMBS was first detected in the Richmond area in 2020.<\/p>\n
Here is the low down. Scale is an insect, the infestation results in sooty mold, which is a disease. This combination can drastically affect the appearance and health of crape myrtle trees. CMBS is a pinkish scale insect that produces a layer of whitish-gray waxy material that thickens as the scale matures. In Richmond CMBS appears to have at least two generations per year. The small CMBS males are winged and will fly to find females and to mate. Once the mated females produce their capsules and lay eggs, they die. The eggs remain protected within the white colored covering until the crawlers hatach disperse onto the branches. Each female lays about 60 to 250 eggs, which over winter and hatch during mid- to late April and May. As the insects feed, they excrete a sweet, sticky substance known as honeydew. A black, sooty mold forms over the honeydew on stems, and trunks,<\/p>\n
If you come and see us and we identify the pest as CMBS, it is important to treat as soon as possible. The sooty mold can be washed off by suing warm soapy water in a sprayer. This is just one of three steps that I recommend.<\/p>\n
A second step is to us a Neem Oil or Horticultural Oil spray. This oil spray will coat and smother many, if not most, of the crawlers and adults.<\/p>\n
The third step is to use tree and shrub soil drench. Now that it is mid-May and our crape myrtles have broken dormancy and are actively putting out leaves, now is a critical time to apply the soil drench. I suggest using the BIOADVANCED 12 MONTH TREE AND SHRUB INSECT PROTECTION.<\/p>\n
Use these three steps and you can protect these beautiful trees. So, don\u2019t let the fear of CMBS keep you away from planting these beautiful trees. My advice: just keep an ey on them and nip CMBS in the bud before it becomes a problem.<\/p>\n