I was at an industry education conference today learning about what fun new pests and diseases are spreading. This one has just arrived here in Pennsylvania the last year or two. It’s been spreading north from Texas the last 20 years or so.
Crape Myrtle Bark Scale primarily attacks Crape Myrtle, but is also found on a handful of other hosts including persimmon, apple, pomegranates, beauty berry, boxwood, and brambles. Normal scale treatments are effective if timed right, and ladybugs are VERY effective control once they find the scale. Neither of these papers mention persimmons, but it was in the slideshow I watched today.
This winter may have sent it south a couple states. If I’d seen it, I probably would have assumed it to be peach scale. For fruit growers, scale is pretty much scale, IMO, but when it’s white it is safer because it is hard not to see. Ignored, scale is often lethal.
It is pretty bad in our area around DC. Most folks with crape myrtles have seen some signs and infestations can be pretty bad. Most tree companies and landscapers are just using systemic pesticides which isn’t great for the pollinators, but I’m not sure if the crape myrtle flowers are a big draw for pollinators or not.
I hadn’t realized it could be an issue with poms, but it certainly makes sense since they’re in the same family.
Well, that’s upsetting to learn. Neighbor has one 15’ from some of my pomegranates. Just another reason to despise crap myrtles. There are few landscaping trees I like less. Anthracnose, useless flowers and now scale.
