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"scales" on spicebushes (Lindera benzoin)?

9 years ago

Hello.

I live in a forest of Lindera benzoin and have recently noticed these "scales" on a few bushes...can someone id them please? They seem to have an aphid-like relationship w/ants. Not sure if it's visible but, they are dark brown w/a light stripe running down the middle.

Thank-you!

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Comments (2)

jean001a
9 years ago
Yes, scales. If the plant is a reasonable size, start by scraping them off.

Ants "farm" scale just as they do aphids. Both pests produce sweet excretions called honeydew.
agkistrodon
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank-you for your help. I guess I am wondering how "contagious" the scales are. Around here, the understory is 90% Lindera benzoin. Some of these are close to 15 feet! I found these on neighboring shrubs but haven't really looked anywhere else...could these become an epidemic or is it common to have only a couple of shrubs affected? Spice bushes are not supposed to be susceptible to pests or diseases...I don't think I've ever seen any pests on them! Being quite short I don't think I'd be able to remove all the scales...do they generally go away ?

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