I am very grateful we received some much-needed rainfall, but we will also see diseases begin to reappear, especially if temperatures and humidity increase. There really are a reduced number of diseases in the landscape for this time of year due to the dry weather. Some diseases can be found now but severity is greatly reduced compared to this time last year. What's Hot A variety of different scale insects have started to hatch. Just after hatch, while crawlers are mobile and before they have settled on a stem and begun to build a protective coating, scale insects are easier to control.
Beneficial insects can be effective at controlling scale, so look for natural predators.
If infestations are heavy, use a horticultural oil or soap. Fletcher scale - hemispherical adults are found on terminal twigs and flat, smaller, immatures can be found on needles. Look for crawlers at the base of needles, in sheaths between needles or in heavy infestations on exposed needle surfaces. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. They are not thought to be harmful to the trees but they can be unattractive if located at eye level.