ORNAMENTALS AND TURF
From: Steve Frank, Extension Entomologist
Cottony Camellia Scale Eggs
Cottony camellia scale is one of several cottony scales in the genus Pulvinaria. You can find these now on their common hosts including holly and camellia. Flip over leaves and you will see cottony masses about the size of a cotton swap stuck to the bottom of leaves. These are the egg masses. They each contain many hundred eggs that will hatch soon. Note that the holly this ovisac was on is still flowering. Thus, you cannot make foliar applications of neonicotinoids such as imidacloprid, dinotefuran, or thiamethoxan or really most insecticides since bees will be foraging. So check for flowering in a week or two when the eggs actually hatch when choosing your insecticides.
Cottony camellia scale ovisacs on a holly. Photo: Steve Frank.
Cottony Cushion Scale Eggs Hatching
Cottony cushion scale is an exotic pest that became a very important pest of citrus. However, it is quite generalist and does affect several ornamental plants such as nandina, euonymus, boxwood, rose, and others. Cottony cushion scale is very noticeable when female egg sacs are present. They are present now and most of the time since there are several overlapping generations per year. Cottony cushion scale is an example of a relatively successful biological control program in the U.S. The vedalia beetle was captured in its homeland of Australia and released to bring the pest under control. Although cottony cushion scale can still be found and remains a pest it is often kept in check by this wide-spread beetle. These are in a different family (Mararodidae) than other soft scales (Coccidae). However, control measures are similar to those outlined in the soft scale management note posted here: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/
Cottony cushion scale on euonymus stems. Adult ovisac is present behind a darker less cottony juvenile. Photo: Steve Frank.
New Free IPM Book and Other Resources
The Southern Nursery IPM working group (SNIPM) includes research and extension professionals from many Southeastern states who work in horticulture, plant pathology, and entomology related to nursery crops. Last year we published a book called IPM for Select Deciduous Trees in Southeastern US Nursery Production that is available as “pdf” here:
Or as an iBook here: https://itunes.apple.com/book/
This month we published another booked focused on shrubs called IPM for Shrubs in Southeastern US Nursery Production: Vol. I that is available here:http://wiki.bugwood.org/IPM_
There are many other extension resources such as factsheets, articles, North Carolina Pest News, and presentations consolidated as links on my websitehttp://ecoipm.com/. In addition you can visit the site to read my blog or twitter feeds. You can also sign up to follow my pest alert Twitter feed @OrnaPests and my general ecology and IPM twitter feed @ecoIPM via Twitter or by clicking the ‘Follow’ buttons on my website. @Ornapests provides short timely alerts when new pests become active in the field accompanied by pictures and links to management information.
------------------------------
