Home & Garden Tips
Tea Scale
By Roosevelt McWilliams County Extension Agent

Tea scale is a serious pest of camellias and certain other orn

amental plants in Georgia. Scale insects pierce plant tissues and suck out juices which reduce the vitality of the plants. Heavy infestations result in unsightly plants, fewer and smaller blooms, twig dieback and possible plant death.

Tea scale is one of the most widely distributed and most damaging insect pests on camellias. Tea scale infestations are also quite common on large-leafed hollies.

Tea scales feed underneath leaves and this usually causes the upper leaf surface to become yellow-splotched. When infestations are heavy, cottony filaments can be seen hanging from the leaves.

A major problem with tea scale control is that many times damages have occurred even before the scale infestation is noticed. This means that in spite of control efforts, the damaged leaves will often be retained by the plant for at least a season or more. A two or three year program may be necessary to bring the infestation to a manageable level.

Beginning in April, you should use acephate (Orthene) carbaryl (Sevin), malathion, imidacloprid or other recommended insecticides according to label directions to control tea scale insects. Fall treatment may also be needed if infestations are heavy.

You should add a spreadersticker to your spray mixture and be sure to direct the spray to the underside of the leaves to obtain better contact of the insecticide with the scale insects.

Insecticidal oils may be effective in control of light to moderate tea scale infestations. Some oils can be used in the spring prior to or after blooming and the fall prior to blooming. Highly purified oils such as Sunspray can be used during the growing season and be sure to check the label for instructions.