Micro Black dots of juniper scale foliage

[Rob_phillips]

Did you try blasting it off with a stream of water?

I did yes the black dots dont seem to do anything there not a bug in my opinion and if its a fungus no one has seen it and im not sure about viruses.

 

[Rob_phillips]

The same tree does have a few mature scale bugs on it which i have removed using tweezers.
Also the tips on alot of the foliage have gone an orange yellow colour and seem to be opening out a little is this normal for a shimpaku in spring?

Thats as close as my camara will focus in on the tips.

 

[Rob_phillips]

 

[quietobserver]

Looks like the spring on-set of a tip blight fungal issue of some sort.

 

[Rob_phillips]

Looks like the spring on-set of a tip blight fungal issue of some sort.

Intresting ok. I originally just thought it was just normal for junipers in spring as this is the first spring with a juniper. Hence i never mentioned it in a post before.
It is only in the very tips and not moved down the needel at all. Its opened the ends of the tips up slightly like a pinapple would look.

 

[Rob_phillips]

Could it be male pollen flowering tips?

 

[petegreg]

Your pics are a little out of focus, hopefully they can be male cones. http://www.treetopics.com/juniperus_chinensis/chinese_juniper_1250814.png

 

[Rob_phillips]

Your pics are a little out of focus, hopefully they can be male cones. http://www.treetopics.com/juniperus_chinensis/chinese_juniper_1250814.png

I know sorry the pics are taken on my smart phone

 

[quietobserver]

Maybe @markyscott or @Adair M will take a look for you and provide expert consultation.

 

[Rob_phillips]

Maybe @markyscott or @Adair M will take a look for you and provide expert consultation.

That would be great if they would i have another camara so i will take a pic with that and see if it is any better.

 

[Rob_phillips]

These were taken on my proper camera but at night so still not perfect.

 

[Rob_phillips]

You can see the black dots on these pics better aswell.

 

[MichaelS]

These are scale not a disease. They need to be treated with a horticultural oil...in cool weather and shade. Twice, 10 days apart and preferably with some malathion mixed in. Keep the tree in a more exposed position after that.

 

[wireme]

You can see the black dots on these pics better aswell.

Yeah, I see. They do look exactly like what I used to have, you're sure they're only on the foliage? Mine also wouldn't hose off, could be scraped off with fingernail but not easily. They did disappear eventually after I moved and never seemed to do any harm.
I'm starting to wonder if they could have been lichen spores or something, that old mountain ash there had lots of lichen. Dunno though, lichen spore are probably microscopic, it's a mystery that I never solved. Someone once suggested fly or little insect poops to me...

The tips look like pollen comes to me

 

[Rob_phillips]

These are scale not a disease. They need to be treated with a horticultural oil...in cool weather and shade. Twice, 10 days apart and preferably with some malathion mixed in. Keep the tree in a more exposed position after that.

Thanks for the reply i have found adult scale looking things on the foliage aswell and i removed them by hand but if all those black dots are young scale crawles then i need to get this sorted out asap. I live in the uk so certain chemicals are restricted to buy that you maybe able to purchase in the usa i will do more research and see what others suggest aswell as ive only this week sprayed them with a pesticide and antifungle so i dont want to push my luck and cause more damage than good by over treating the tree.

 

[Rob_phillips]

Yeah, I see. They do look exactly like what I used to have, you're sure they're only on the foliage? Mine also wouldn't hose off, could be scraped off with fingernail but not easily. They did disappear eventually after I moved and never seemed to do any harm.
I'm starting to wonder if they could have been lichen spores or something, that old mountain ash there had lots of lichen. Dunno though, lichen spore are probably microscopic, it's a mystery that I never solved. Someone once suggested fly or little insect poops to me...

The tips look like pollen comes to me

I hope the tips are pollen cones its hard to find pics on the internet of this that look like mine though.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Could it be male pollen flowering tips?

Yes. This.

 

[wireme]

These are scale not a disease. They need to be treated with a horticultural oil...in cool weather and shade. Twice, 10 days apart and preferably with some malathion mixed in. Keep the tree in a more exposed position after that.

Do you think that's what I had too? Looked exactly the same as I said, I thought it might be scale but it seemed odd that it was as prevalent on stones and pots and everywhere as it was on foliage. No sign of it nowadays but still curious.

 

[MichaelS]

Thanks for the reply i have found adult scale looking things on the foliage aswell and i removed them by hand but if all those black dots are young scale crawles then i need to get this sorted out asap. I live in the uk so certain chemicals are restricted to buy that you maybe able to purchase in the usa i will do more research and see what others suggest aswell as ive only this week sprayed them with a pesticide and antifungle so i dont want to push my luck and cause more damage than good by over treating the tree.

If the pesticide is non systemic, it won't have much effect on the adult scale but will kill any youngsters. They have a waxy coating which protects them. Even if it is, the juniper also has a waxy cuticle which makes penetration difficult. Hence the oil which will smother the insect. It won't hurt to spray again right away.
The orange tips are not the issue. The black spots are the problem. And one of the worst cases I've seen.

 

[Rob_phillips]

Yes. This.

Thanks @Brian Van Fleet thats good news thanks for diagnosing the tips.