Scales

• Scale insects belong to the order Homoptera
• Some scales are armored, others are considered soft; both have piercing/sucking mouthparts and come in many shapes & colors depending on species
• Armored scales secrete a waxy coating over their bodies that forms an “armored plate” which is not actually part of the insect body; scale insects feed under the protection of the armored plate
• Soft scales also have a waxy covering which is actually part of the insect body
• Eggs are laid beneath waxy coating
• Life cycles of armored & soft scales are similar, though some species of soft scales can take longer to reach maturity
• Newly emerged scales are called “crawlers” because they move around a plant until finding new growth to feed on
• Scales also produce sticky “honeydew”
• Heavy presence of honeydew on plants requires removal using warm water prior to the introduction of any beneficial organism.
• If ants are present they must be controlled before releasing beneficials

Visit our SCALE BIOLOGICAL CONTROL page for treatment options