Looking for help with your Magnolia tree care? If you live in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), please contact us.
Magnolias are always recognized as the harbinger of spring. Their flowers are grandiose and magnificent. Magnolia Scale threatens these trees and is one of the stranger and hardest to kill insects you’ll see. Becoming noticeable at the end of June and all through July, it is normally only recognized once the tree is infested. Tree scale insects cover themselves in a whitish dome for protection, so it is often mistaken for a fungus or other growth – but this tree scale is actually an insect. The scales look a lot like the puffs on a pussy willow, with a waxy fuzzy appearance. Magnolia tree bugs that cause scale are a serious concern – if left unchecked this scale will weaken and eventually kill the tree. At LawnSavers, your top choice for lawn and tree health, we have been seeing them more often in the last few years, and it only seems to be getting worse.
How Do Magnolia Tree Bugs Cause Scale And Hurt Trees?
These tree scale insects drink the sap from the tree, robbing it of nutrients. Then, adding insult to injury, they excrete a waste product called honeydew. Honeydew is a clear, sugary, sticky fluid. The honeydew drips from the tree and drops onto cars and patios making a gummy black mess. To make matters worse, it attracts lots of stinging wasps, flies and other annoying insect pests to your yard looking for a tasty treat.
If that wasn’t enough, a fungus called ‘sooty mould’ (sooty mold if you’re American) also grows on the sticky honeydew, causing the patio, leaves and branches to turn a black mess.
How To Protect Your Magnolia Trees From Tree Scale
Prevention is the best defense for tree scale. If you have Magnolias, LawnSavers can combat this pest problem with a proven 3 treatment approach involving injections and an insect management spray when the nymphs emerge in Late Summer through fall. If the weather co-operates, we also have a narrow window for treatment in Spring and fall before the tree’s new buds open. Proper fertilization is also imperative to combat this pest and part of our program to help strengthen the trees natural insect defences.
If your Magnolias are infested right now, we can reduce the problem with a special injection each year. And coupled with fortifying your tree’s health in the Fall with deep root fertilization will strengthen the tree’s natural defenses by replacing the stolen nutrients. A 3 visit program for the smallest trees starts at $397+tax for the season.
Treatment takes time to take effect, and it will not eliminate honeydew dripping and secondary pests like wasps until the scales are controlled. This will be at least 6-8 weeks after the first 2 treatments are completed, AND treatment must continue for at least 2-3 years with regular maintenance visits afterward.
How Much Does Dealing With Magnolia Tree Pests Cost?
Pricing for our Magnolia Scale Programs is based on the circumference of the trunk near ground level, the size of the canopy, and the number of trees.
So contact us right away when you find tree scale on your Magnolias. The sooner the problem is identified, the sooner we can act to protect your tree’s health. Pictures and measurements of the trunk circumference can help us provide a treatment program and price right away.
In the meanwhile, you can also help protect your trees. Scale can be scraped off of the lower parts of the tree with a soft, dull plastic knife or spoon. If higher in the tree, a strong spray of water can knock some of them off. Do NOT use a pressure washer, though, as that will harm the Magnolia tree’s soft bark. Learn more about scale here from Ohio State University.
Other common “scale insects” are “Euonymus Scale” which appear as tiny white flakes on the stems and leaves of those shrubs. Depending on the landscape value of those shrubs, replacement vs. treatment options need to be considered.
Your Top-Rated Choice For Help With Magnolia Tree Bugs In Ontario
If you notice waxy white spots on your Magnolia tree’s branches call LawnSavers today! We have years of experience and can help you deal with this pest and protect your trees so that they grow large and beautiful for years to come. Contact us today to make your free estimate appointment. 1-888-503-5296
We also have the ability to assist you with: grubs, gypsy moths, and ticks.
FAQ About Best Lawn Care Practices
🌱 How Many Times a Week Should You Water Your Lawn?
You need to water at least once a week for at least an hour, this generally provides 1-1.5″ of water to the roots (a tuna can’s height) (exceptions: 1. when you seed & 2. if you have an automated system 3. When we are experiencing extreme heat).
New Seeding Watering: Seed must be kept moist until established. This will be influenced by the amount of sun, wind and heat you are experiencing in your particular area. It is normal to require 3-4 short waterings per day to maintain a moist seedbed. Use a light stream of water to lessen disturbance of the seedbed (like a watering can).
🌱 How Can I Control Insects And Pests Naturally?
Control the insect population by installing birdhouses or bat boxes to curb the number of unwanted flying insects around your property. Unscented dish soap mixed in a water spray bottle is also an excellent natural pesticidal plant spray to reduce unwanted soft-bodied insects.
🌱 What is the Proper Height to Mow Grass To Keep It Healthy?
In the spring (May-June) and fall (September-November), your lawn should be kept at the 2.5 – 3-inch mark and in the hotter and drier summer periods at least 3 inches. Contrary to popular belief, if you cut the lawn shorter it doesn’t make it grow at a slower rate, it can actually cause it to lose moisture and scorch.
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