Spider Mites? Fungus?

[Tidal Bonsai]

I noticed the scales on a few small branches of my juniper turned a white color. There were also small dots of white on them as well. What is this?


Below is a normal branch


I am going to hit them with dormant spray today since they are going into winter protection very soon. Please advise if this is enough.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Your Shimpaku isn’t dormant, but the white spots look like eggs. You’d need to tap the branch over a white sheet of paper to find spider mites, but the tell-tale dull gray color makes all Shimpaku growers cringe when they see it.

 

[Dav4]

Hard to tell from the pics but that could be Scale. I've always got a few junipers here and there that have a few scale insects on them and don't worry too much about it. If anything, they seem to prefer less vigorous trees, so pumping the trees up always seems to get rid of them. I think dormant oil would be a great idea, now and again late winter.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

Thanks for the help, I know the tree isn't dormant yet but the temp is dropping to 21 F tomorrow night. It will be in protection for a day or two before bringing back outside.

PS I tapped the branch and no mites that I saw. They may be setting up for next year though…

 

[M. Frary]

It can handle 21 degrees like nothing. I would leave it out.
Mine regularly see minus 20 every year.
They've been out this year in the teens,frozen solid with no protection this year before I put them away.
Junipers are tough customers when it comes to cold.
And freezing temps will slow the bugs way down. To almost non-existent. It's one reason I don't have many pest problems I believe.