They’re Back. Scale Bugs. Ew.
Ok, see this? This is what teeny tiny scale bugs look like when they’re newborns. They’re whitish. Torpedo-shaped. They don’t move around much. You probably won’t see them moving at all. In fact, they are so tiny, you can barely see them unless you’re looking, or unless you happen to have a camera with a serious macro lens. Actual size: ummmm, I’m looking around my desk for something really really tiny. Ohp. Got it. Go get the newspaper. Any newspaper will do. Well, not a large print one, a regular one, like The New York Times. Ok, now go reduce it on a copier about 40 percent. Find a comma. That’s how big these baby scale bugs are. In a week or so, they’ll be about the size of a pencil eraser, and they’ll be purple, and they won’t move at all. They’ll just sit there on my tree and suck.
I hate scale bugs.
For last year’s scale bug drama, click here. (If you have the stomach for it.)
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My family calls me "the mamarazzi."
Excellent picture – I wondered what these things were. Many thanks for sharing.
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I have had my purple plum 19 years. The leaves this year are dropping and the tree did not look good this year. I noticed their life span is 10-15. Do we just cut it down? We so have enjoyed it. It has served so many purposes. Thanks.
Hi Peggy,
Is the tree still looking ill? Sorry it took me so long to respond. The reason for the short life-span is because the tree has so many life-threatening problems: prone to disease, attracts many boring insects, weak wooded so it falls apart easily. A healthy one can last more than 30 years though. Can you describe the problem more fully? Notice any ants crawling on it? Anything dripping from the leaves? See any holes in the bark? Webs? Bugs on underside of leaves? Spots? How’s the rain been where you live?
Great picture! I wouldn’t have noticed these little devils on my plants. These bugs can kill trees very easily and quickly.
Hi EG,
I’m kind of a purist (read: lazy) when it comes to putting things on my trees. I think the best way to prevent scale bugs on plum trees is to keep the air flowing in the inside of the tree. Scale bugs do not like sunshine and free-flowing air! So I found that as long as I pruned newly growing inner branches and pruned any big branches that were blocking a good portion of sun, the scale bugs stayed in check. Good luck. I have to admit, they are pretty trees, especially in spring and summer. (Not so great in fall though, but who cares about that when we have such great sugar maples and red maples and oaks and ginkgoes and dogwoods?)
I read all you blog on this tree and I’m still thinking of purchasing one.
What do you put on this tree to prevent the scale-bugs.
Yea, pretty gross, but great info. Always a pleasure stopping by your blog.
Euck! Gross, but informative!
Gross. I’ve always wondered why God made such ugly bugs!
Scale bugs suck! (no pun intended) I think that’s what killed my father-in-law’s yellow plum two years ago. I just planted one (yellow plum) in my backyard so I’d better keep an eye out for those suckers (again, no pun intended)
; )
This is precisely why I love your blog, I always learn something new about nature. And of course the photos are incredible. Sorry about the tree leaches. Do they harm the tree?