Scale on crape myrtle.

Question: I forgot to attach the picture.

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 23, 2023, 11:23 AM EDT
response: Hello Donita,  This does appear to be Crapemyrtle Bark Scale, yes. This insect has spread fairly quickly in Maryland since its discovery here a couple years ago (after having been to our south for years prior). Given how abundantly crapemyrtle are planted here, we're not entirely surprised, though some plants are hosting pretty high populations before they are noticed. While natural predators of scale (lady beetle larvae, for example) can consume them, they won't eradicate an infestation by themselves. Management of the scale involves one or more treatment regimes with pesticides or removal of the plant or a drastic cut-back if you wish to avoid any pesticide use. While scale might be reduced if you gently scrub-off any you find on the bark, this has to be done carefully to avoid injuring the vital tissues below that thin bark layer, and it won't remove all the scale as they can wedge themselves into tight and hard-to-reach spaces on the trunk and branches. More information is given in the linked page.  If you do want to treat the plant, cutting it down first (if you are willing to sacrifice several years of growth to have it catch up in size afterwards) will remove the majority of the scale, making any needed pesticide easier to apply while also dramatically reducing the amount needed. Discard all clippings as trash or yard waste (that is, don't compost them) just in case the juvenile scale are able to spread before the clippings decay. Scale often takes advantage of host plants under stress, so monitor other crapemyrtle closely for any watering needs or other sources of stress (pruning too much is a common one when gardeners trim the tops off their crapemyrtle). Feel the soil about six inches deep to help determine when watering would benefit the plant; if damp to the touch at that depth, watering can wait; if the soil is becoming somewhat dry to the touch instead, water thoroughly. (Even though crapemyrtle are very drought-tolerant, keeping them from experiencing drought stress can go a long way towards having them healthy enough to resist damage from pests like scale.)  Miri

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 09, 2023, 3:32 PM EDT
response: Here’s another growth on my crape myrtles. What is this one?  And what to use to kill it if I need to kill it.  On Tue, May 23, 2023 at 11:23 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 09, 2023, 3:57 PM EDT
response: These are lichen, and they are normal, harmless, and do not need removal or treatment as they don't take any moisture or nourishment from the tree. There are many species of lichen and they can have a variety of shapes (most fairly flat but some are smoother or more wrinkled than others) and colors (bluish, grayer, orange, yellow, etc.), but this leafy-looking blue-gray-green form is quite common.  Miri