Scale On Juniper Bonsai
Try to identify the insects either by photographing them and asking for advice at on online bonsai forum or by comparing the insects you see with the pictures below.
Scale on juniper bonsai. There are different kinds of scale white juniper and oyster shell scale to name a couple. Insects often found on bonsai. The female juniper scale shell is a circular flat armored scale that attacks several species including junipers cypress and eastern red cedar. If one does not look closely they may mistake it for a part of the bark.
It takes a lot ot get through the shell which is where they lay their eggs. Scale are insects that most often resemble a small oval scale on your bonsai tree. They use their piercing sucking mouthparts to feed on sap. This works well for minor infestations nastier infestations and tricky to treat scale like the pine needle scale require a stronger plan of attack more on that friday.
Both have scale like foliage with a color ranging from yellowish green to bluish green or grayish green. They are immune to almost everything. This can be cured with most insecticides such as provado systemic insecticide made by bio. The amazing transformation of this rocky mountain juniper progression.
Basically when the new scale hatches the babies walk around and pick a place to settle down. Its been a quick and amazing journey. Aphids spider mites mealy bugs vine weevils scale insects caterpillars ants. Scale are commonly found on junipers too so be on the look out.
Oyster shell is probably the worst. The waxy covering of the female is dirty white with a yellow center resembling a tiny fried egg. These insects should not be taken lightly as they feed off your bonsai trees fluids like vampires and can cause leaf drop branch die back and eventually in severe cases death of the tree. The male shell is smaller and narrower.
The two most popular juniper species for bonsai of the group with scale like foliage are the chinese juniper and the japanese shimpaku which is a variety of the chinese juniper which was originally found in the japanese mountains. There are two main pest problems on scale juniper. Follow along as i transform this bonsai.