The larger female scales are about 2 mm long, brown, and shaped like an oyster shell. Cottony cushion scales, for example, are off-white but the crawlers are orange. Can you diagnose? Q: 2. Euonymus scale... Euonymus Scale Life Cycle. Healthy plants that are not under water stress can better withstand and recover from scale feeding. If you miss this crawler stage, another should occur 6 weeks later. Wear rubber gloves if you don’t want to touch the insects. Armored scale lives under a protective covering and feeds on plant juices. This usually happens in spring to early summer. After th… A more organic form of treatment is the introduction of lady beetles, natural predators of euonymus scale, as well as pruning of heavily infested branches. If your shrub is heavily infested, consider removing it and replacing with a holly or other plant. A population of scale on euonymus shrubs can go through to 2 to 3 generations in a single summer. You can also remove the insects manually by rubbing them off the infected leaves and stems with your fingers. Control: Euonymus scale can be difficult to control. Euonymus is a family of shrubs, small trees, and vines that is a very popular ornamental choice in many gardens. You’ll get regrowth in spring and summer. How to Get Rid of Scale on Euonymus Shrubs Identifying Euonymus Scale. ©2020 Walter Reeves / The Simple Gardener, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I recommend applying systemic insecticide imidacloprid (click for sources) in spring and also spraying what’s left of the shrub (after pruning) with horticultural oil (click for sources) three times per year (April, June, January). If your shrub is heavily infested, consider removing it and replacing with a holly or other plant. If I cut the back the foliage drastically now, will this harm the shrubs? Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Euonymus scale spends the winter as mated adult females that then lay eggs in the spring. Be sure to follow label directions for hot weather application. Identify ‘crawlers’. If the scales simply crumble away dryly, all you have is the leftover shells of dead bugs and you don’t need to treat. Keep reading to learn more about how to get rid of euonymus scale. Q: 1. You can apply the alcohol using a cotton swab or a cosmetic sponge. During this time, you can spray with an insecticide or horticultural oil. Euonymus scale bugs go through a few stages of life, during most of which they’re too small to spot easily. Be sure to follow label directions for hot weather application. Crawlers are often not the same color as the adults of the species. One common and sometimes devastating pest that targets these plants is the euonymus scale. Though they’re very small, you can see the crawlers as tiny yellow grubs on the leaves. A: In my experience, a heavy infestation of scale on euonymus is almost impossible to control without pruning to remove the majority of the leaves and insects first. Euonymus scale treatment is a game of timing. If your shrub is only lightly infested, you can try the chemical route. If you miss this crawler stage, another should occur 6 weeks later. Read the label of your oil to see if it will be effective on mature scales. If the infestation is really bad, the plant may appear water stressed with leaves yellowing, drooping, and even falling off. Types Of Euonymus – Choosing Different Euonymus Plants For Your Garden, Suitable Euonymus Companion Plants: Tips On What To Plant With Euonymus, Prickly Kale Leaves – Does Kale Have Thorns, Corn Husk Wreath Ideas: How To Make A Corn Husk Wreath, DIY Air Plant Wreaths: Wreath Making With Air Plants, Orange Fall Color – Types Of Trees With Orange Leaves In Autumn, Covering Brick Walls With Vines: What Type Of Vine For A Brick Wall, Marigold Leaf Problems: Treating Marigolds With Yellow Leaves, Grapevine Bleeding: Reasons For Grapevine Dripping Water, Thanksgiving Tradition: Turning Homegrown Pumpkins Into Pie, Growing Thanksgiving Dinner – Must Have Turkey Side Dishes, Interesting Uses For Pecans: What To Do With Pecans, The Bountiful Garden: Bringing The Garden To Thanksgiving. Browse and purchase gardening books by Walter Reeves, plus select titles by other authors. The scale insects may also appear like clusters of rice on plant leaves. You’re more likely to know you have an infestation when you see white to yellow blotches on the tops of the plant’s leaves. You’ll get regrowth  in spring and summer. Certain horticultural oils can also be used when the scales are in their shells because it forms a layer that literally suffocates them. A more organic form of treatment is the introduction of lady beetles, natural predators of euonymus scale, as well as pruning of heavily infested branches. Spray insecticides containing carbaryl, cyfluthrin, horticultural oil, insecticidal soap, malathion, or permethrin can be used for control of the crawler stage of Euonymus scale. Euonymus grows vigorously, so pruning moderately in winter won’t hurt it terribly. The first step in euonymus scale treatment is figuring out if you have an infestation. The young scales, called crawlers, have legs and will move very slowly, or are blown by the wind, to a spot on a plant that they like. Controlling euonymus scale bugs can be relatively simple and effective, as long as it’s done properly. During this time, you can spray with an insecticide or horticultural oil. I have a row of golden euonymus shrubs that have developed scale on the leaves and a few of the short stems. My variegated euonymus has lots of little white dots under the leaves and it doesn’t look very healthy. The bugs themselves are most visible in their late life scale stage, when they settle in on a single spot on the plant and grow a hard protective shell (a scale) over their backs. If you notice scales on your plant, scrape at a few with your fingernail. So what does euonymus scale look like? The best time for euonymus scale treatment is when they’re in their crawler stage, before they grow their protective shells. If you see an orange smear, the scales are still alive and need to be dealt with. Euonymus grows vigorously, so pruning moderately in winter won’t hurt it terribly. Rubbing alcohol dissolves the scale insects' shells which kills them. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Sign up for our newsletter. Heavily infested branches should be removed. A: In my experience, a heavy infestation of scale on euonymus is almost impossible to control without pruning to remove the majority of the leaves and insects first.