Asian scale is on the attack throughout Central
Florida. It has been found in almost every county in Central Florida
(see map). Now with increased
publicity throughout Florida, more and more people are finding they have
the pest and are looking for answers. To determine if your cycad has
Asian Cycad Scale, view the
Photos of Asian Cycad Scale.
If you think your cycad is infected, visit the links below for advice on treating the problem.
CFPACS Asian Scale information resources
Some recommendations from Dave Witt in treating this problem:
Unlike the native magnolia scale this Asian import will go
below ground and infest the root stock. You have 2 options, pull the plant (plus
the soil that immediately surrounds it) and soak the entire thing in a solution
of oil/soap, then insecticide of your choice (mine w/ be to add Orthene to
another oil mix); remove and destroy (burn - no landfills) the foliage first.
2nd choice w/be ground-soak the entire area in and around the root zone including
the entire plant; the orthene w/be more "environmentally friendly" for
this than other systemic pesticides, it'll break down quickly in the soil. The
crawlers are below ground and inside the stem (any crevices/leaf bases, etc.).
Removing the foliage reduces your target area and the plant should recover
quicker. The scale can be wind blown to other plants, so any adjacent to any
infestation should be treated accordingly. Have fun ... and stay w/ oil
treatments every 2 wks for a few months afterwards, especially for any valuable
stuff. It's been found recently in the top half of Brevard County, so it is
moving north.
October 3, 2002 - Natural Predators of Asian Scale to be introduced in Tampa:
It seems the USDA is now preparing to do something to help prevent a Sago
Palm extinction in Central Florida. It seems Tampa is now considered
officially to have an epidemic of Asian Scale and we will be getting some
parasitic wasps from Asia that specifically eat Asian Scale. In fact these bugs
are so efficient and eating most of the bugs off sagos that people in Asia do
not see infestations of Asian scale as badly as we have seen here in
Florida. Hillsborough County is expected to have 5 areas targeted
for release of the wasps. Currently the extension agent for Hillsborough County
is trying to determine the worst infestations are located and release the wasps
at these locations. CFPACS members are assisting the Extension
Service as possible and will be helping with observations as to the
effectiveness of the wasps. Here is part of the official e-mail sent
to horticultural professionals recently. If you can offer some information, you
are invited to participate as well.
(Letter begins below)
The number of calls I'm receiving on Asian cycad scale have been steadily
increasing during the last 12-18 months. We appear to have some serious hotspots
if not a minor epidemic in Hillborough County.
The ProHort website now has some information on Asian cycad scale,
some links and a survey for you to fill out. Several different recommendations
currently exist. A publication is in the works that will try to sort these out
and present our best recommendations. That should be available and on the
ProHort website this week.
Research in Miami in the late 90's identified and imported some predators /
parasites of this pest that were later released and appear to have had a
significant impact. As a result we have arranged to have some predatory wasps
sometime in the next 2-3 weeks.
Now we need to identify the hotspots or localized areas that have a serious
infestation to use for the release. In other words, we need your eyes to help
locate infestations across Hillsborough County. Then we need you to fill in the
online survey to help us identify the precise location of the infestation and
the severity of the infestation.
The parasitic wasp releases will be based on the information you provide.
Please don't delay - when you see an infestation, make a note of the address,
city and severity of the infestation. When you get a chance, go to the
ProHort
website ( http://prohort.ifas.ufl.edu/index.htm
). Near the bottom left corner of the homepage is a link to the Asian
cycad scale page. On that page is a link to the online survey. All you do
is fill in the blanks and click on the submit button. The website will
automatically send me an e-mail with your information included
Dave Palmer - Extension Agent I
Professional Horticulture Services
5339 County Road 579
Seffner, Fl., 33584-3334
813-744-5519x103
813-744-5776 Fax
dkpalmer@mail.ifas.uf.edu
http://prohort.ifas.ufl.edu/index.htm
January 16, 2002
Since we first reported the situation in Tampa back in August 2001, the
problem is getting worst. Reports of Asian Scale sightings are becoming common
in almost central and south Florida towns. Areas just seeing the scale for the
first time, just 6 months ago are now becoming so infested that its hard to find
a Sago palm that is "not" covered with scale. Extremely
persistent and difficult to get rid of. Many report that if you treat the sago
with pesticides consistently enough, you can rid the plant of the scale, while
others are insisting the bug has the ability to armor itself away from
pesticides and keep coming back because you cant completely kill them off a
plant once infested. Some will remain in armor or dormant like state and
try again for life after treatment is relaxed.
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