Magnolia scale crawlers

Found these crawlers from Magnolia scale out on the leaves. The crawler stage is mobile. I suppose it is easier to feed from the leaves. Once the cooler fall weather moves in, the scales will move onto the twigs. Otherwise they would lose their attachment to the Magnolia host, once the leaves start to fall off. Wonder how they know when to make their move?

The leaves of the magnolia and the plants, lawn and walkway beneath the magnolia are all covered in a black sticky substance. This is Black Sooty Fungus. Basically, the scale insects are dripping Magnolia sap out the end of the insect. The sugars in the sap attract a fungus disease to grow.

Now is an ideal time to treat the scale insects as the crawler stage is more vulnerable to treatment. Once they have moved back to the twigs, they will form a protective shell. Treatments will not penetrate the shell very easily.


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