Shimpaku with Sunny Side Up Scale

[Shoshin]

I recently bought a shimpaku juniper in a more refined stage to inspire my mostly beginning stage tree collection. The next day I noticed that it had scale

I would say the picture above represents most of the tree as far as how infested it is.
I have it isolated currently but am very concerned for my other trees- I have quite a few! The seller has agreed to take it back. I am torn. Is this a good opportunity to learn how to deal with this or is it too risky?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Shoshin]

View attachment 380442
I recently bought a shimpaku juniper in a more refined stage to inspire my mostly beginning stage tree collection. The next day I noticed that it had scale

I would say the picture above represents most of the tree as far as how infested it is.
I have it isolated currently but am very concerned for my other trees- I have quite a few! The seller has agreed to take it back. I am torn. Is this a good opportunity to learn how to deal with this or is it too risky?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Additionally, the over all color is mostly a beautiful green but there are some dying tips..

 

[Paradox]

Scale is easily treated.

You can either try to remove all of them manually or use an insecticide that will kill them.

If it is a nice tree that you want to keep, there is no need to return it. It's not a bad case of scale, just take care of it and the tree should be fine.

From the two limited photos, seem you've got lots of healthy green tips. I'd cut the brown ones off.

 

[Tieball]

On one hand though you could be fighting a population of Scale that has already laid eggs. I can’t see the entire tree from any photo you’ve provided. So, I don’t know if it’s a really well-grown, thick-trunked tree or if it’s simply a nice looking tree that needs many years growth. If the trunk is not that thick, and it’s more than just an ”I want to buy something bonsai impulse”, I’d give it back to the seller and let them deal with the scale. If you keep the tree now, you accept all the risk and cannot fault the seller. Issues and cures will be yours to own. I’d give it back and say thanks for taking it back.

 

[sorce]

It makes no sense to risk sending it back and $ again and blah blah....

Half price may be fair.

I was incredibly surprised at how well my junipers did after neeming them ...I think twice...maybe once.

Though a couple days ago...I was thinking about how it's near impossible to use neem safely in summer. They say use it while overcast, or rainy, or at night....

But I don't think it's fully possible to both, irradicate the scale and not have negative neem effects on the heat.

My scale infestations coincide perfectly with a lack of centipedes in the soil. They break the cycle eating eggs and crawlers.

Sorce

 

[Shoshin]

Scale is easily treated.

You can either try to remove all of them manually or use an insecticide that will kill them.

If it is a nice tree that you want to keep, there is no need to return it. It's not a bad case of scale, just take care of it and the tree should be fine.

From the two limited photos, seem you've got lots of healthy green tips. I'd cut the brown ones off.

Thank you!

On one hand though you could be fighting a population of Scale that has already laid eggs. I can’t see the entire tree from any photo you’ve provided. So, I don’t know if it’s a really well-grown, thick-trunked tree or if it’s simply a nice looking tree that needs many years growth. If the trunk is not that thick, and it’s more than just an ”I want to buy something bonsai impulse”, I’d give it back to the seller and let them deal with the scale. If you keep the tree now, you accept all the risk and cannot fault the seller. Issues and cures will be yours to own. I’d give it back and say thanks for taking it back.

 

[Shoshin]

The pot is about nine inches tall

 

[Tieball]

Thanks for sharing a more complete photo of the tree. That’s a tree worth saving…keeping….and treating the scale quickly right up front. I’d follow the best procedure for Scale elimination. I had a scale infestation on a couple of Zelkova trees. I used the Neem oil. You have new scale that have not hardened off their helmets yet…..a Neem Oil mixture generously applied at intervals should work well and fully eliminate the scale. I used a hand pump sprayer and pushed the nozzle inside to coat all the branches on all sides top to bottom.

Nice looking tree!

 

[Shoshin]

Thanks for sharing a more complete photo of the tree. That’s a tree worth saving…keeping….and treating the scale quickly right up front. I’d follow the best procedure for Scale elimination. I had a scale infestation on a couple of Zelkova trees. I used the Neem oil. You have new scale that have not hardened off their helmets yet…..a Neem Oil mixture generously applied at intervals should work well and fully eliminate the scale.

Nice looking tree!

Great, thanks so much for your feedback

 

[Tieball]

The tree has a really nice ancient looking root base. Something excellent to work with.

On the foliage…..the hand pump sprayer I used and pushed the nozzle inside to coat all the branches on all sides top to bottom made a big difference. I wore a face mask too.

 

[Tieball]

For your consideration. With my Zelkova scale infestation I treated the immediate trees where I found the problem….and….treated trees that were nearby, around the Zelkova placement area. Some of those Scale helmet could easily be already making the hike to new trees. I also kept an eye on other trees. In the end, for me, it was just the Zelkova trees. If there were additional Scale present anywhere else the Neem OI’ll solution eliminated the problem. I don’t remember my concentrate mix but I would say I was generous With the Neem.

Recalling…..I had something else in the Neem mix also and I believe it was the BioAdvanced Complete Insect Killer. The blue container. I keep that around for use. Whether the Neem solution needed the insecticide added or not I don’t know. However, the combination worked. It may have also helped eliminate scale in the soil substrate or eliminate eggs in the area. It worked. That’s what mattered to me.

 

[Firstflush]

Scale is not really very mobile. Spend and hour with the tweezers or fingernails. Then apply the neem. Apply the neem in the evening, or in shade, so you dont burn your foliage in the sun.

I would still ask for a reasonable and fair price reduction.

 

[Paradox]

Thats a nice tree and well worth keeping.
As I said earlier, its not a bad infestation of scale and if you deal with it quickly, it should not be a problem at all.

As stated above, if you treat with neem oil, keep the tree in the shade for a day or so because oil will tend to fry the tree in the heat.
You will probably need to retreat the tree again in a couple of weeks, In fact I would treat it every 2 weeks for at least 2 months to make sure you get all the scale through all their life stages.

 

[Tieball]

Here’s some scale information you probably already researched:
“There are many species of scale insects that feed on a wide range of host plants. Scale insects are a unique group, that look quite different from other insects. In their juvenile growth stage, they are referred to as “crawlers.” As crawlers, they are highly mobile, six-legged, have no protective cover, and are usually smaller than a pinhead. However, at maturity, scale insects are immobile, have no visible legs or antennae, and in the case of armored scales, are covered with a protective shell that ranges from about 1/16-to-3/8-inches in size.

Scale insects can be divided into two groups: armored scales and soft scales. Armored scales secrete a protective cover over their bodies and usually overwinter as eggs beneath the female cover. Soft scales are usually larger, lack the protective cover, but protect themselves with waxy secretions. Most soft scales overwinter as immature, fertilized females.
THE MORTON ARBORETUM.”

In your photos you show juvenile growth stages. These crawlers can be blown by the wind to other woody plants/trees.

 

[Shoshin]

Here’s some scale information you probably already researched:
“There are many species of scale insects that feed on a wide range of host plants. Scale insects are a unique group, that look quite different from other insects. In their juvenile growth stage, they are referred to as “crawlers.” As crawlers, they are highly mobile, six-legged, have no protective cover, and are usually smaller than a pinhead. However, at maturity, scale insects are immobile, have no visible legs or antennae, and in the case of armored scales, are covered with a protective shell that ranges from about 1/16-to-3/8-inches in size.

Scale insects can be divided into two groups: armored scales and soft scales. Armored scales secrete a protective cover over their bodies and usually overwinter as eggs beneath the female cover. Soft scales are usually larger, lack the protective cover, but protect themselves with waxy secretions. Most soft scales overwinter as immature, fertilized females.
THE MORTON ARBORETUM.”

In your photos you show juvenile growth stages. These crawlers can be blown by the wind to other woody plants/trees.

Thank you!