Crape Myrtle Bark Scale - What It Is & What To Do About It

Many people have crape myrtles in their landscapes, and crape myrtle bark scale is a serious emerging pest that we are seeing a lot more of lately. In this video we show examples of the insects and discuss what to do to treat and prevent them.

[@stevem6711]

Thanks. They have been attacking our crape myrtle for two seasons now and they are persistent.

[@lukemom2545]

Thanks for this video. I have been trying to help my crepemyrtles with bark scale while they are in bloom by scrubbing them and spraying them with forceful jets of water. I also ordered ladybugs and followed the directions for releasing them onto moistened ground at the base of the trees in the evening. Unfortunately, they still haven't reappeared after burrowing in (it's been a month, and we're in late August). Do you have any advice for fighting scale withe natural predators like ladybugs?

[@joshmonroe986]

My reply was removed for some reason - neem oil mixed with a little dish soap and water then use a scrub brush dipped in the mixture to scrub your tree, then pour out remaining mixture around the base. I did this a month ago and the scale has not come back. This method doesn't kill bees or helpful pollinators.

[@lukemom2545]

@@joshmonroe986 Thanks!