Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010

Watch out for pesky gloomy scale

I love trees. It lowers my blood pressure just knowing they are absorbing carbon dioxide and replenishing the atmosphere with oxygen. And I love their beauty and color, the privacy they provide, and the merciful shade we can find under their branches.

This summer I have been mostly grateful for the shade.

I really do not like to be hot.

Unfortunately, our new home came with just four young maple trees, none of which provided much useful shade. As soon as the weather cooled last fall, we planted four more maple trees.

But this summer the new trees were looking droopy and sparse, so I consulted an arborist for advice.

I assumed they were just taking time to get established, or maybe they needed more water or deep root fertilization.

I was shocked to find that the trees were having the life sucked out of them by bugs called gloomy scale.

The insects are so tiny that if you scrape them off with your fingernail, you cannot see them without a microscope.

If you have a maple tree, there is a good chance you have a problem. Since the drought three years ago, the rate of gloomy scale infestation has been steadily climbing in our region.

Inspect your maples for little poppy seed sized bumps in the bark and young twig branches that are dying away. In severe cases, the bark will appear black when wet.

The problem is treatable, although due to the life cycle of the insects it may take two years to completely get rid of the tenacious little pests.

Savvy homeowners may be able to manage this situation using the information available on the N.C. State website: www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/trees/note60/note60.html.

I am not that confident in this area, so I chose to consult with a professional. Carson Ray, a certified arborist with Tree Health Care Associates ( treehealthcareassociates.com), recommends a multipronged approach to dealing with the pests.

Infested trees should be treated with a horticultural oil in February and again in June. In the meantime, the growing conditions should be improved. Gloomy scale prefer trees that are in distress.

Remove grass from around the base of your trees and surround them with mulch to help them retain moisture. But don't mound mulch around the trunk - small roots will proliferate there and can actually wrap around the trunk of the tree and strangle it. You should be able to see the top of the roots branching out from the base of the tree.

Some people create a volcano of mulch around their trees, but that causes water to roll away from the thirsty roots. If you have a high mound of mulch, wait until the tree is dormant this winter to spread it out so you will avoid damaging the tree.

During extended periods of drought, the trees may have to be watered. But that is a tricky call, because over-watering is not good either. If your lawn is irrigated then your trees are probably getting enough water.

Deep root fertilization in the fall or early spring will help the trees, too.

You also can send a sample to the state soil lab to see if the pH or nutrients are unbalanced ( www.ncagr.gov/agronomi/sthome.htm).

It is important to talk to your neighbors or Homeowners Association. If you treat your gloomy scale infestation but your neighbors do not, your trees are at risk of being reinfested.

Because this is all pretty involved, I am glad I hired a professional to help me help my trees. The consultation was free and the quote to apply the remedy to all eight of my maples is only $60 per application. Well worth it to protect the investment I have in these trees.

Not only are they increasing the curb appeal and value of our home, eventually they are going to provide plenty of shade.

I really love shade.