Claiborne of Williamsburg

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale

The crape myrtle bark scale (Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae) is a recently introduced pest from Asia that initially infested crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) in Texas during 2004. Since then, it has spread rapidly through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Georgia. Now it has been discovered in North Carolina and Virginia, and the distant spread of this pest has likely been through the movement of plant material. Crape myrtle bark scale (CMBS) has been confirmed in Richland County (Columbia) in South Carolina in 2019 . With the recent appearance of CMBS in Mecklenburg County (Charlotte) in North Carolina, this insect pest may also appear soon in Upstate South Carolina.

Late April-Early May Through July

Apply Ferti-Lome Tree & Shrub Systemic Insect Drench. Mix with water as directed, and apply in a band along the drip line of the plant, as a soil drench. To measure the crapemyrtle, add up the circumference of all trunks at chest high (about 4.5 feet off the ground). For example, if you have 5 trunks and the trunk circumference is 4 inches each, then you have a total of 20 inches in circumference.

The drench will need to be applied to the drip line of the plant. The drip line of the plant is considered to be the outer circumference of the plant branches and inward toward the trunk several feet (see diagram above). In order to apply this 20 ounces properly, it will need to be mixed into several gallons of water so that there is enough volume to be applied in a 3-4 foot band from the drip line in towards the tree trunk all the way around the plant.