|Crape myrtle trees infested with CMBS in Richardson, TX. Black sooty mold|
deposits on the branches and trunks of infested trees are often the first
sign of an infestation. Note the white, scale encrusted upper branches.
After several years of slow spread through several north Texas counties, last year the scale made its move. In 2013 the scale appeared in several locations in Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennesee. As a result, this winter researchers from the University of Arkansas and the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection service agreed to lend a hand and take a closer look at these tiny insects.
|Crape myrtle branch with a heavy infestation of scale.|
|A scale-encrusted crape myrtle branch. Note |
the pink blood from crushed scales where a
finger has been dragged across the infested
stem. Photo by M. Gu.
If you are interested in learning more about CMBS, Dr. Gu asked me to talk about this pest this week in a Webinar, which is now posted on YouTube. In the webinar I discuss the appearance and damage caused by CMBS, how it is spread, and what is known about control.
The best control methods that we currently have involve soil injections of neonictinoid insecticides. Control recommendations are also listed here and in the fact sheets mentioned above. If you encounter this scale in areas outside Texas, or in areas of Texas I did not list, I would be interested in knowing about it. Leave comment on this site or drop me an email. We hope to eventually have a website where sightings can be more easily reported.