Scale Insects

Scale insects attach themselves to leaves, branches, or trunks and feed on plant sap.

They often look more like small brown, beige, or white bumps than insects.

Signs of Scale

Look for small raised bumps on branches or leaves, sticky honeydew, sooty mould, yellowing leaves, or weak growth.

What to Do

Small numbers can often be carefully removed by hand.

Larger infestations may require horticultural oil, insecticidal soap, or another treatment suitable for scale insects.

Inspect branch junctions and the undersides of leaves carefully, as scale can hide in surprisingly small spaces.