Feller Landscape Group

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Serving the Chicagoland counties of DuPage, Kane and Northern Cook.  Over 25 years of experience!

 

 

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It is highly advisable to check euonymus plants regularly.  Scale is best controlled at first sighting as the plants should be cut to the ground and the new shoots protected from re-infestations by sprays as needed.  Over-fertilization can increase the scale, so heavy fertilizing is not recommended.

Euonymus Scale

 

 

 

 

The Euonymus Scale (Unaspis euonymi) is a very common and serious pest of evergreen euonymus.  This armored scale insect develops large populations and is very difficult to control.  Like most armored scales, individuals form a tough cover of waxes and proteins, which enlarge as they grow.

 

 

 

 

 

The male scale occurs in greatest numbers on the lower branches and leaves of the plant.  The female scale is found mainly on stems and occasionally on leaves.  Eggs begin hatching in early spring.  The young scales (crawlers) appear as yellow specks smaller than a pinhead.  The crawlers move to leaves or stems and begin their feeding by piercing the plant tissue with microscopic mouthparts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conspicuous white flecks on plant leaves are the best signal that this pest is present.  Heavily infested plants will prematurely drop large numbers of leaves in the winter and dieback will occur.  Dieback is most serious in winters following droughts.

 

If scale has gone unnoticed and spread to most of the plant as well as other euonymus plants, the removal of all infected plants is suggested, replacing with other plants not affected by scale.