CMBS, first identified in Texas in 2004, has now spread to at least 12 additional states including Alabama. This is a small insect that sucks the sugary juices of the tree. : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lcLQAVz58wSubscribe now to Family Plot for more gardening videos like these!youtube.com/c/FamilyPlotFor even more information, go to https://www.familyplotgarden.com Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia) is one of the best flowering trees in the world. This nonnative scale was first detected in the United States in 2004. My husband wanted to cut them down but I insisted we wait it out until the next growing season. In one year, there could be at least two generations of CMBS. How do I stop the suckers? Crepe myrtle bark scale affects crepe myrtles more that are unhealthy. Keep reading for tips on growing crepe myrtle trees so you can enjoy these amazing plants year round. Thousands of scales encrusting the bark will literally turn it white. Crepe myrtle trees are popular with home gardeners for their clusters of beautiful flowers and unique peeling bark. When crushed with a finger, it will ooze out a pink substance. As with most insects, there are several life stages and the appearance of CMBS changes with the stages. Crape myrtle is ideally suited for community plantings since it is long-lived, withstands droughts after becoming established, and is relatively free of disease and insect difficulties. In its native area it can infest a number of other plants, but right now it is mostly focused on crape myrtles. When pressed or scraped, CMBS leaves behind a pinkish residue. CMBS might be found anywhere on crepe myrtles bark, and often appears near pruning sites and branch crotches of more mature wood. The crapemyrtle bark scale, Acanthococcus (=Eriococcus)lagerstroemiae (Kuwana), is an invasive felt scale in the family Eriococcidae (or Acanthococcidae, as the taxonomy of this family is still being debated). Crape myrtle bark scale is relatively easy to identify. Adult females are felt-like white or gray encrustations that stick to crape myrtle parts ranging from small twigs to large trunks. Pictured: CMBS life stages encrusting a small crape myrtle branch. Slowly over the last 13 years it has moved northward and is now a serious threat to Crepe Myrtles in Hampton Roads. : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f2kuFSGkNgQ\u0026A - Why does my Crape Myrtle have curling leaves? This group is in the superfamily Coccoidea(scale insects) and the order Hemiptera (true bugs). Although gray-green lichens may look ugly on a crape myrtle's bark, they won't do physical harm. for Control of Crapemyrtle Bark Scale Cooperator – Gregg County - Longview, Texas Author - Randy Reeves* and Erfan Vafaie** Year - 2016 Gregg County Summary: In the genus Acanthaacoccus, the scale is a type of felt or bark scale. *Pictures of Crape Myrtle Bark Scale were provided by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Generic versions of imidacloprid are available. An Auburn study has had good results with lady beetles on small plants. Heavy infestations of crapemyrtle bark scale produce sufficient honeydew to coat leaves, stems and bark of the tree. Black Residue on Crape Myrtle Trees. Colors range from red and pink to lavender and white. Crape Myrtle Bark Scale - What is this white stuff on my crape myrtle trees? Crape Myrtle Bark Scale (CMBS) It is a serious threat southern crape myrtle trees. Since then, it spread rapidly. That’s where we come in. On new growth and in heavy infestations, the scales may be distributed more uniformly on the branch (Figs. If there's an ice storm, lichens can add a heavier load of ice to a limb, increasing its chances of breaking. The brilliant fall color of these trees along with the attractive bark and pretty flowers make it the perfect tree for your garden. Eggs hatch into tiny pink crawlers, and the older nymphs are pink, gray, or brown. The invasive Asian insect called “crape myrtle bark scale” first showed up in the US around 2006 but has been spread far and wide, partly via infested trees being sent to garden centers, then to gardens, then from tree to tree. Each female lays about 60 to 250 eggs, which may over-winter within their ovisacs, and then hatch during mid- to late Apri… The scale is a sucking insect that feeds on the phloem (sap) of plants. Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale is caused by an insect that researchers are working to learn more about. CMBS might be able to overwinter in the adult female and egg life stages, and crawlers and later stage nymphs have been observed overwintering under the loose bark and in cracks and crevices of crapemyrtles in our area. Once the mated females produce their ovisacs (egg-containing capsules) and lay eggs, they die. This pest threatens to turn what has historically been a beautiful, low-maintenance landscape tree into an unsightly, high-maintenance landscape tree. Crape myrtle bark scale, Eriococcus lagerstroemiae, belongs to a special group of scale insects known as felt scales. Biological control is another option. Crape myrtle bark scale is relatively easy to iden-tify. Crape Myrtle Bark Scale is a recent (2004) invasive insect from Asia. Be certain you carefully follow the label directions for use of imidacloprid or any other insecticide you use. It’s now beyond practical control. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper and Mike Dennison show how to use a soil drench to treat Crape Myrtle Bark Scale. If you suspect that your trees are infected, use a systemic insecticide, such as imidacloprid, when trees begin to show signs of new growth in the spring (late March–May). Crapemyrtle bark scale is an exotic insect pest from Asia. Southern favorites, crepe myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica), produce showy, long-lasting summer blooms. While they are fairly hardy, there are problems that can arise if you don’t have suitable information on crepe myrtle care. Agent Marcus Garner with the Madison County Extension Office said … Heavy infestations of crape myrtle bark scale are easy to spot and identify. It is usually best to use only one color in each cluster. It is one of the only scales known to infest crape myrtles. CMBS is a miniscule insect that appears as a felt-like gray or white crust on crape myrtle branches, often on the underside away from the sun. is a deciduous shrub or tree that ranges in height from 3-foot dwarves to towering trees of 50 feet. CMBS is a small, white or gray insect (Image 1). The eggs remain protected within the white colored ovisacs until the crawlers (immatures) hatch and disperse onto the branches. Crapemyrtle Bark Scale: A New Insect Pest - FSA7086 Author: James Robbins, John Hopkins, Mike Merchant, Mengmang Gu Subject: Crapemyrtle bark scale, a relatively new insect appearing on crapemyrtles (Lagerstroemia) across the Southeast, including Arkansas. Up close, CMBS is white t… Adult females produce a white, felt-like sac around their bodies and lay approximately 100 to 300 pink eggs inside this sac. I went to several local garden centers, asked questions, showed pictures and nobody had a clue. 4 through 6). It is one of the only scales known to infest crape myrtles. , History: Master Gardeners of North Alabama. It may take several months for the imidacloprid to start killing the scale, but it will be effective for about one year after application.Here are some other videos about crape myrtles:Q\u0026A – How do you remove black sooty mold from crape myrtle bark? Crape Myrtle Bark Scale (CMBS), first discovered in the Dallas, Texas, area in 2004, is threatening to turn what has traditionally been a perennial favorite with few pests into an unsightly, high-maintenance landscape tree. Bark scale attacked both our beautiful Crepe Myrtles last year. Crape myrtle bark scale will appear like a white waxy crusty dot found on the tree trunk, branches or bark. The once-yearly drench may be applied later in the year as long as it is done before the tree begins to lose its leaves. First detected in northern Texas in 2004, CMBS is spreading throughout much of the southern U.S. This can be a difficult pest to control and it may take m… UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper and Mike Dennison show how to use a soil drench to treat Crape Myrtle Bark Scale. It has been in Tennessee since about 2013. They measure the circumference of each stem at the four-foot height and after doing some math they mix the imidacloprid concentrate in a gallon of water and pour it on the ground around the crape myrtle. First, they discuss the history of the crape myrtle bark scale in the United States. The scale is a sucking insect When crushed, these scales exude pink “blood”-like liquid. First, if the plant is small enough, spray the whole plant with a dormant oil. Crape myrtle bark scale (“CMBS,” Eriococcus lagerstroemia) was first identified in Texas in 2004, and is now a common pest. Limb, increasing its chances of breaking with the Madison County Extension Office said … crape myrtle.! 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