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Identifying scale insects on Wisteria
Small brown or grey shell-like bumps along woody stems and older growth, particularly where growth is dense and less inspected.
cycle
Life cycle
Crawlers emerge from under scale and disperse. Settled scales are immobile under protective shell.
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Damage to Wisteria
Scale insects sap-suck along stems, weakening growth and causing dieback in heavily infested sections, with honeydew attracting sooty mould.
healing
How to treat scale insects on Wisteria
Apply horticultural oil during the dormant winter season when the vine is bare, which smothers overwintering scale effectively.
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Preventing scale insects on Wisteria
Inspect stems during winter pruning when scale is easiest to spot on bare wood, and prune out heavily infested growth.