Control of heavy infestations requires repeated insecticidal sprays timed to coincide with the crawler stage of each generation. Male and female enonymus scales are so different in appearance that they are often mistaken for different species. Juniper plants which have lost their normal healthy green color are often infested with juniper scale. Upon close inspection, numerous white scale covers with yellow-brown centers can be seen on the foliage. Heavily infested branches yellow and eventually die.
Few scales are as insidious or as destructive as the obscure scale.
Primarily found on oaks, this pest causes dieback of branches, limbs, and sometimes entire trees. Inexperienced observers often mistake these scales for flakes of bark even at close range. The name obscure scale fits perfectly since the insects blend in so well with the background on which they settle. Not all scales are as difficult to detect. Ornamental pines, especially mugho and Scots pine, are attacked by a white scale which may nearly cover the needles.