Is this scale insect?

[ACooke]

Does this look like scale insect?
And if not, anything to worry about?

I’ve only had the tree a fortnight or so and it’s been present since i purchased it. I originally thought if was likely some rot or similar and i could just trim it out but wanted to question whether it’s something i need go address further and more promptly.

It doesn’t look exactly like scale insect to me and is present only (upon a not super thorough investigation) on the extremities of the leader; there doesn’t seem to brownie outside of obviously shaded out foliage.

Thanks in advance!

 

[KateM]

Yes, those are scale. Kill them.

 

[ACooke]

Yes, those are scale. Kill them.

Argh. Any advice?
Trim them out as best possible and spray when they’re active?

 

[KateM]

Well, you can try scraping off as many as you can, but I think it might be rather hard on the juniper. Systemic insecticde should help. Not sure what is available down under...

 

[ACooke]

Well, you can try scraping off as many as you can, but I think it might be rather hard on the juniper. Systemic insecticde should help. Not sure what is available down under...

Excellent. Thank you @KateM

 

[Shibui]

Photos are not totally clear but we do occasionally get scale on junipers.
Eco oil, pest oil or neem oil are used for scale but read the instructions about hot weather.
Imacloprid is a systemic that will kill scale. Brands include Bug Killa, Confidor and others. You my have to search independent suppliers to find any as Bunnings don't stock systemics now as there's some evidence of it harming bees and other good bugs.

 

[ACooke]

Photos are not totally clear but we do occasionally get scale on junipers.
Eco oil, pest oil or neem oil are used for scale but read the instructions about hot weather.
Imacloprid is a systemic that will kill scale. Brands include Bug Killa, Confidor and others. You my have to search independent suppliers to find any as Bunnings don't stock systemics now as there's some evidence of it harming bees and other good bugs.

Yeh i was going to pick up some bug killa after reading further - i didn't stumble across confidor so i'll take a browse - there may be a supplier closer by.
A lot of the larger wholesale places seem to carry multiple richgro product, just not bug killa which is annoying - anyway - easily solvable.

I read somewhere, although not deeply, that the oil based are poor choice for juniper (confers in general) but can't recall where, why and certainly not if there was any credence to the comment or not. I just thought to myself that it was easy enough to just avoid it and use Imacloprid instead and investigate the oil based treatments further at a later stage.

Thanks @Shibui

 

[Eckhoffw]

Scale sucks. https://ccenassau.org/resources/-ju...r scale can be,late spring-early summer spray.

 

[Paradox]

Yes those are a species of armored scale.
Need an insecticide that has them on the list of things it kills

 

[ACooke]

I ended up finding some imacloprid in powder form locally so i’m going to give that a whirl. I trimmed some of the obvious scale out yesterday, probably lost about 25% of the foliage and it had been re-potted about 8 weeks ago although it’s in a grow pot and wasn’t drastically root-pruned.

I’m presuming it’s probably best to let it recover a little before hitting it with the imacloprid? The scale infeststion doesn’t seem too extensive or pressing although i guess i have nothing to gauge that off other than a visual inspection and ‘guessing’ as to what severe might look like. Couldn’t see moving around.

 

[Paradox]

I ended up finding some imacloprid in powder form locally so i’m going to give that a whirl. I trimmed some of the obvious scale out yesterday, probably lost about 25% of the foliage and it had been re-potted about 8 weeks ago although it’s in a grow pot and wasn’t drastically root-pruned.

I’m presuming it’s probably best to let it recover a little before hitting it with the imacloprid? The scale infeststion doesn’t seem too extensive or pressing although i guess i have nothing to gauge that off other than a visual inspection and ‘guessing’ as to what severe might look like. Couldn’t see moving around.

You know you can scrape them off with your fingernail or even with fine tip tweezers. There is no need to cut the foliage

 

[KateM]

And in adult stage they don't move around much...

 

[ACooke]

Yeah i do but the tree was in need of a trim/very dense. It was nursery stock with a heap of shaded out branches and dead/weak interior growth so it need a trim anyway. I’d styled one side of the tree which compiles the majority of branches i’ll be using/needed manipulation and was going to leave other side to thicken the trunk before most of it gets the chop and/or air-layered off; get to it when i got to it.

I didn’t really lose anything i wasn’t going to cut off anyway and there’s still a lot of foliage i’ll be removing for further ‘styling’, so it seemed both the easiest and best way to go about it initially.

 

[Shibui]

Imacloprid won't stress the tree. Better to treat now and get rid of the scale which will put stress on the tree.