Shchitovka on trees: photo of the pest and methods of dealing with it

Who are scale insects and what do they look like?

Shield on a tree.

Shield - one of the most dangerous pests that affect various trees and shrubs growing in the garden. Finding them on a tree is quite difficult. The most noticeable are the first and second instar larvae, the so-called vagrants. They are able to move along the tree and there is a bright rim on their body.

Most of the pests on the tree are immobile adults, which are tightly adjacent to each other, and outwardly resemble a light gray coating. They can be found on the surface of the trunk, main branches, young shoots and leaves.

There is a common misconception that scale insects are large insects. In reality, this is not at all the case, and the average body length of an adult individual is only 1-4 mm.

Signs of the appearance of scale insects on trees

Severe damage to the scale insect can lead to the death of the whole tree, so it is very important to detect the problem in a timely manner and begin to solve it. The main signs of the presence of scale insects are:

• exfoliation and cracking of the bark;
  

  California shield.

• falling leaves;
• the death of the main branches and young thin branches;
• decrease in quality and premature fall of fruits;
• complete death of the tree a few years after infection.

What trees are most often affected by scale insects

The scale insect infects many different plants. Shrubs, trees and even indoor plants often suffer from this pest. Mostly scale insects are found on the following types of fruit trees:

Causes of scab infection

The main causes of infection of fruit trees with a scale insect are:

• use of infected planting or grafting material;
  

  Insect shield.

• crawling of vagrants from the branches of an infected tree to the branches of a healthy plant in contact with them;
• irregular thinning crown trimming;
• lack of preventive treatments with insecticides;
• violation of agricultural regulations.

Methods of dealing with scale insects

Fighting scale insects is not an easy task. Adults are reliably protected by a strong shield from the effects of various insecticides and treatment with folk remedies, and yet, there are many effective methods to combat these harmful insects.

Mechanical method

This method is only suitable for the initial stage of infection. While the number of insects is small, they can be removed from the surface of the branches with a toothbrush or a hard sponge dipped in an alcohol-containing liquid.

Severely affected branches and shoots would be wiser to cut or cut.

Traditional recipes

Shchitovka.

Among folk methods, there are a large number of effective and time-tested recipes. Infusions of plants such as:

• tobacco;
• celandine;
• garlic.

To improve the effect, the resulting infusions should be mixed with a soap solution. The main disadvantage of such funds is a weak effect on adults.

Biological method

This method is considered quite effective and environmentally friendly, as it involves the use of fungicidal preparations made on the basis of pathogenic fungi and nematodes to control scale insects.

The most popular fungicides are Nemabact and Aversectin.

Chemicals

There is also a wide range of effective chemicals on the market today. The most popular among gardeners received the following drugs:

Prevention of the appearance of scale insects on trees

It is very difficult to get rid of scale insects that have hit a tree, so you should carefully monitor the condition of the plant and take all the necessary preventive measures. To prevent the appearance of this dangerous pest in the garden, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

• purchase seedlings and grafting material only from trusted sellers, as well as carefully inspect them before buying for infection;
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• promptly remove and destroy infected tree branches;
• annually in the autumn, remove exfoliated and dead bark from the trunk and branches;
• periodically treat trees with specialized means for prevention.
• regularly carry out thinning pruning of the crown;
• feed the tree with fertilizers in a timely manner to maintain strong immunity.

What types of scale insects can be found on trees

The family of scale insects includes a huge number of different species, but on fruit trees, gardeners most often encounter only a few of them:

Conclusion

Do not underestimate the scale insect because of its small size, because this pest is rightfully considered one of the most dangerous. It is necessary to start fighting the insect immediately after the first signs of its presence are detected, since even an adult tree with strong immunity may not be able to cope with a high degree of infection and simply die.