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This pine tree plant disease is caused by chionaspis pinifolia, a species of pine needle scales which may seriously damage or infest pine and spruce trees, as well as hemlock and cedar trees. If infestations become severe and occur repeatedly, young trees may quickly be killed off, and older trees will be progressively weakened.
Pine needle scales will cause the pine tree needles to be covered with flat, white, scaly clusters of bumps. In heavy infestations, entire areas of foilage may appear white due to the preponderance of bumps. The flat, white bumps can be picked or scraped off and typically have a soft underside where they were attached to the tree. Infested needles will turn brown and eventually drop off as the small soft-bodied insects which cause the bumps continue to feed and suck sap from the plant.
As the insect feeds, it’s legs atrophy and the crusty white shell develops over the top of their body. Mature female scales then lay their eggs beneath their shells in mid to late July. The eggs hatch and feed beneath the shell, emerging in late summer and maturing in the fall, when the new crop of females lays eggs that overwinter and start the process again in the spring.
The young are most active in late spring, so this is the best time to spray young and newly infested trees with an insecticide containing acephate. Then, the following spring, when new tree growth begins, and danger of frost has passed, spray the tree with a pesticide that contains lime sulfur which will kill off the eggs which have overwintered. It is best to check pines for infestation in early to late spring, and begin controlling infestation early.
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