When should I Treat my Trees for White Scale in Louisiana?

For property owners in Louisiana, treating white scale (crape myrtle bark scale) requires a multi-step approach timed to the pest’s specific life cycle stages:

• Late Winter: Apply dormant horticultural oil before buds break. This treatment helps smother overwintering nymphs on the bark.
• Early Spring (March and April): Use a systemic imidacloprid soil drench around the root zone as new growth begins to emerge and sap starts rising. This allows the tree to absorb the treatment and transport it to the canopy before the primary crawler stage begins.
• Late Spring to Early Summer (May and June): Apply foliar sprays, such as horticultural oils or insecticides, during the crawler stage. This is when the tiny, pinkish nymphs are most vulnerable because they have not yet developed their protective white, waxy coating.
• Midsummer: Continued monitoring is necessary as a second generation of scale may become active, requiring follow-up inspections or treatments.
• Dormant Season: Prune and dispose of heavily infested branches to immediately reduce the pest population before the next growing season.

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