Eggs hatch almost immediately and crawlers start to feed. They have mottled, yellowish, rounded shells. There are three to five overlapping generations a year.
Populations are usually highest from midsummer to early fall.
Sooty mold grows on excreted honeydew and may affect fruit grade. The honeydew also attracts ants, which interfere with the biological control of a number of pests. The most effective parasite of brown soft scale is Metaphycus luteolus, which destroys the scale in its early instars before it can reproduce or cause substantial injury. Maximizing parasitism by controlling and reducing ants is critical for brown soft scale control because the pesticides do not work very well on this scale species. Monitor brown soft scale from June through October when disruption of biological control may be a problem.