If control is necessary, a relatively nontoxic, short residual insecticide should be used so that it does not interfere with harvest. If ripe berries are present, they should be harvested before the spray is applied. Tank mixing the insecticide with protein hydrolysate will increase the treatment efficacy. Once spraying has begun, it should be continued with an application every 7 to 10 days until all unharvested fruit has dropped. These insects may be common in blueberry plantings, especially if pruning has been neglected for several years and the scales parasites and predators have been destroyed by insecticide sprays.
Some scales also reside on leaves and fruit.
Males are produced in late summer, and after they mate, the females settle on the wood to overwinter. Live offspring issue forth in the spring to early summer in the form of crawlers, thereby effecting the spread of these insects. Scales feed by removing sap from the plant, and can reduce vigor, decrease yield, and even cause the decline of the plant. Some scales also produce large quantities of honeydew, a sugary liquid that coats the leaves and fruit and promotes the growth of sooty mold, which can decrease berry quality. Good scale control is accomplished first by good pruning practices.