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Identifying scale insects on Blueberry
Small brown or tan shell-like bumps along blueberry stems and older wood, sometimes clustered densely enough to make the bark look rough and bumpy.
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Life cycle
Crawlers emerge from under scale and disperse. Settled scales are immobile under protective shell.
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Damage to Blueberry
Scale insects sap-suck along the stems, weakening growth and reducing fruit yield in heavily infested bushes, with honeydew attracting sooty mould.
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How to treat scale insects on Blueberry
Apply horticultural oil during the dormant winter season when the bush has no leaves, which smothers overwintering scale without harming the plant.
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Preventing scale insects on Blueberry
Inspect stems during winter pruning when scale is easiest to spot on bare wood, and prune out heavily infested stems.