Are there any good bugs? If so, why do we need them? Even if you despise bugs of all sorts, usually even the “bad bugs” have at least one redeeming quality. 

They protect our gardens, crops, and lawns. 

Before you start stomping, do a little research. Don’t kill the one thing that might be saving your tomatoes! There are more than 1.5 million known insect species in the world and more than 97 percent are beneficial to gardens. 

If they aren’t helping your gardens and plants, most bugs are simply gently or kind. Don’t go stomping and spraying everything that crawls and flies.

Before you stomp and spray, ask yourself:

• Is the bug eating your plants, grass, garden?
• Does the eating appear to be doing damage to the plant?
• Is there one bug or is there an infestation ? 

If you answered “yes” to one or more of these, you may have a “bad bug”. 

Bad Bugs

In our region of the South, bugs that are considered to be bad include chinch bugs and white grubs. These insects attack our lawns and cause damage. An infestation of pests like army worms is another example of “bad bugs”.

There are good bugs and we do need them. 

When ladybugs or lady beetles are found on a crape myrtle, they have typically laid hundreds of eggs right in middle of the aphids. As soon as the eggs hatch, Lady bugs begin feasting on aphids. They can rescue a crape myrtleand even a crop from aphids if the timing is right! 

The larvae of Green Lacewing eat aphids and other insects that destroy our lawns. 

Brachonid Wasps lay eggs on the very destructive Tomato Horn Worm. When their eggs hatch, they eat the horn worm. 

Bad bugs get all of the attention. 

Let us help you get rid of the bad bugs and we will leave the good ones alone. Our licensed professionals know good bugs versus bad bugs and are glad to come to evaluate your situation. 

You can spot our trucks all over North Mississippi and in the Memphis, TN area. Ask Paul and  Learn more about “The Lawn and Pest Difference”. 

Along with the term “Crape Murder” we refer to Crape Myrtle Bark Scale quite often at Lawn and Pest Solutions. While advising our customers on how to trim their trees without killing them, we also try to prevent disease. 

When looking at photos of Crape Myrtle Bark Scale, it is hard to tell exactly what you are seeing. 

Is it a plant, a growth, or a bug? 

What is Crape Myrtle Bark Scale? It is actually a type of insect/pest that attaches itself to the trunk of a Crape Myrtle tree. Before you spot this pest, it is highly likely that the first thing you notice will be black areas forming on the trunk or branches of your tree. This pest covers parts (or eventually ALL) of the Crape Myrtle tree with a black, sticky soot-like substance. 

The actual pest (the Bark Scale) is flat, light gray or white and it feels like felt. If you press on Bark Scale and it oozes a pink substance, it is active.

Where did it come from?

According to Clemson University, Crape Myrtle Bark Scale was first found in Texas in 2004. By 2022, it has spread across the South as far as North Carolina. Most attribute the spread to the movement of plant material across the region.

How to look for signs of Crape Myrtle Bark Scale 

You will first notice that sidewalks, driveways, shrubs and flowers, garbage cans, swimming pools, even toys under your trees are turning black. Everything under an infected tree will get a black, moldy, sooty stain. 

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale:

Typically gathers in the branch crotches or at pruning areas

Sometimes found under loose bark

 As it takes over, it begins to literally suck the life (sap) from your tree

Thick, black moldy soot will cover the tree and rain down onto everything underneath it

Is this a battle worth fighting?

For some, it’s about aesthetics. The black sooty mold coveringyour trees and everything underneath is more cause for concern than the health of the tree. This may come down to deciding to protect the investment you have made in your trees, your landscape, and your property.

It is commonly accepted that CMBS won’t kill your trees. However, the black mold does prevent sunlight from reaching the tree. This will obviously have some affect on the health of the tree.

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale will most likely affect the number of flowers on an infected tree. The size of flower clusters and overall vigor in the plant health of your Crape Myrtle trees may also suffer. It may even cause your trees to flower later than healthy trees. 

Treatment of Crape Myrtle Bark Scale

1. We start by systemically injecting treatment at the roots of the trees. This slowly and methodically begins treating the entire tree and ridding it of the pest. 

2. Additionally, we spray the entire tree with a growth regulator. Contrary to the name, this doesn’t improve the growth of the tree, it speeds up the process of getting rid of the Bark Scale. 

3. In the fall, our techs apply dormant oil to the affected tree. This oil smothers and eliminates any remaining insects on the tree except those which are beneficial to the tree (like ladybugs). 

4. Each year afterwards, we do an annual systemic treatment as a preventative to keep the CMBS from returning. This treatment also has lawn fertilization  which will help your Crape Myrtle thrive in the future. 

Even if you don’t have Bark Scale now you might consider this preventative treatment. 

Crape Myrtles are some of the most beautiful flowering trees we have in the South. These majestic trees enhance our properties, parks, cities, and lawns. Contact us today to check on your investment! Lawn and Pest Solutions has a great system to treat your Crape Myrtles before this Crape Myrtle Bark Scale has a chance to infect your trees. Our licensed technicians are trained in recognizing and guiding you in the right direction for treatment and/or prevention. We treat Crape Myrtles at homes, schools and businesses in the Memphis, Tennessee area and all over North Mississippi.

We talk about Crape Myrtle Bark Scale often, and the term “Crape Murder” is popular as well. When looking at photos, it is hard to tell exactly what you are seeing. Is it a plant, a growth, a bug? 

What is Crape Myrtle Bark Scale?

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale is actually a type of insect/pest that attaches itself to the trunk of a Crape Myrtle tree. Before you see the pest, you might first notice black areas forming on the trunk or branches of your tree.

It covers parts (or eventually all) of the Crape Myrtle tree with a black, sticky soot-like substance. The actual pest, the Bark Scale is a flat, light gray or white pest that feels like felt. If you press on the Bark Scale and it oozes a pink substance, it is active.

According to Clemson University, Crape Myrtle Bark Scale was first found in Texas in 2004. It has now (2022) spread across the South as far across as North Carolina. Most attribute the spread of CMBS to the movement of plant material across the region.

How does it do the damage?

You might first notice that sidewalks, driveways, shrubs and flowers, garbage cans, pools, toys under your trees are turning black. Everything under the infected tree will get a black, moldy, sooty stain. 

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale typically gathers in the branch crotches or at pruning areas, also under loose bark. As Crape Myrtle Bark Scale takes over, it begins to literally suck the life (sap) from your tree. The thick, black moldy soot will cover the tree and begin raining down onto everything underneath the tree.

Should I get rid of Crape Myrtle Bark Scale?

For some, the black sooty mold that covers your trees and everything underneath is more cause for concern than tree health. Deciding to treat Crape Myrtle Bark Scale may come down to you deciding to protect the investment you have made in your trees, your landscape, and your property.

It is commonly accepted that CMBS won’t kill your trees. In addition to being unattractive, the black mold prevents sunlight from reaching the tree. 

Bark Scale will most likely affect the number of flowers on your tree. The size of flower clusters and overall vigor in the plant health of your Crape Myrtle trees may also suffer. Crape Myrtle Bark Scale may even cause your trees to flower later than healthy trees. 

How is Crape Myrtle Bark Scale treated?

Treatment starts by systemically injecting treatment at the roots of the trees. This will slowly and methodically begin treating the entire tree and ridding it of the pest. 

In addition to the systemic treatment, we spray the entire tree with a growth regulator. This doesn’t improve the growth of the tree, it speeds up the process of getting rid of the Bark Scale. 

In the fall, Lawn and Pest Solutions applies dormant oil to the affected tree. This oil smothers and eliminates any remaining insects on the tree except those which are beneficial to the tree (like ladybugs). 

Each year afterwards, we do an annual systemic treatment as a preventative to keep the CMBS from returning. This treatment also has lawn fertilization  which will help your Crape Myrtle thrive in the future. Even if you don’t have Bark Scale now you might consider this preventative treatment. 

Crape Myrtles are some of the most beautiful flowering trees we have in the South. These majestic trees enhance our properties, parks, cities, and lawns. Contact us today to check on your investment! Lawn and Pest Solutions has a great system to treat your Crape Myrtles before this Crape Myrtle Bark Scale has a chance to infect your trees. Our licensed technicians are trained in recognizing and guiding you in the right direction for treatment and/or prevention. We treat Crape Myrtles in the Memphis, Tennessee area and all over North Mississippi.

Yes, it is time again to talk about Crape Murder. The act of poorly pruning the beloved tree of the South, the Crape Myrtle.

Speaking of the time…

Now IS the ideal time in our region of the South to prune Crape Myrtles. If now isn’t good for you, you can still make corrective pruning as late as March or April.

How does Crape Murder happen?

Many crape murders are committed by cutting back on the same location of the main trunks every year. Cutting back in the same spots causes knots to develop on the trunks.  These knots are not only unattractive, but they also contribute to weakness in our trees.

Some often chop their trees to a height of around 4-5’.  If your Crape Myrtle is too tall, you can prune it back down to a more appropriate height, but not every year!

It is true that some of these practices will lead to many new shoots and lots of blossoms. Unfortunately, these new shoots will be very weak. Weak shoots can’t support heavy blooms and they will droop and weep from the strain. This is Crape Murder.

Why are we so compelled to murder?

Many times, crape myrtle trees need severe pruning because they are planted in improper locations. 

If you are considering planting Crape Myrtles, here are some tips:

1. (This is a big one) Where you plant your Crape Myrtle make it or break it.
2.   Crape Myrtles need lots of sun but not a lot of water to live in our area. 

Pruning tips so that you don’t commit Crape Murder (click the links to learn more from our #askpaul series):

1.  Remove branches that cross one another

2.  Trunks that cross are an issue. One has to go. 

3.  Remember, it’s a tree NOT a bush. It should look like an umbrella from a distance.

You can still turn your life around!

There’s no need for you to commit Crape Murder ever again. While Lawn and Pest Solutions does not offer a pruning service, we want to help you maintain a beautiful lawn. 

We offer a systemic treatment that includes lawn fertilization and insecticide, which helps it flourish but also helps them fight disease (like Crape Myrtle Bark Scale). This plan can be added to your  Plant Health Care program at Lawn and Pest Solutions. 

We have customers from the Memphis, TN area to all over North Mississippi. Our licensed technicians are ready to assist you. You can contact us here for a quote.

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale is a type of insect/pest that attaches itself to the trunk of a Crape Myrtle tree. You might first notice a problem on your Crape Myrtle when you see black areas forming on the trunk or branches. 

According to Mississippi State University Extension Services, “It is now well established in more than 20 Mississippi counties and will likely continue to spread. All members of Mississippi’s gardening and landscaping community need to know how to identify and control CMBS in order to help slow its’ spread and reduce its’ impact.”

What IS Crape Myrtle Bark Scale?

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale is a pest that covers parts (or eventually all) of the Crape Myrtle tree. The first sign is a black, sticky soot-like substance that will cover the tree. The soot will then begin raining down onto everything underneath the tree. 

Sidewalks, driveways, shrubs and flowers, garbage cans, pools, toys are at risk.  Whatever is under the infected tree will get a black, moldy, sooty stain. The actual pest (the Bark Scale) is a flat, light gray or white pest that feels like felt. If you press on the Bark Scale and it oozes a pink substance, it is active.

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale typically gathers in the branch crotches or at pruning areas, also under loose bark. In addition to being unattractive, the mold prevents sunlight from reaching the tree. As it takes over, Crape Myrtle Bark Scale sucks the life (sap) from your tree.

Should I get rid of Crape Myrtle Bark Scale?

It is commonly accepted that CMBS won’t kill your trees, but it will most likely affect the number of flowers on your tree. The size of flower clusters and overall health of your Crape Myrtle trees may also suffer. Crape Myrtle Bark Scale may even cause your trees to flower later than healthy trees. 

Deciding to treat Crape Myrtle Bark Scale may come down to you deciding to protect the investment you have made in your trees, your landscape and your property.

How is Crape Myrtle Bark Scale treated?

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale is being treated by our licensed lawn and pest technicians at Lawn and Pest Solutions in New Albany, MS. 

1. We start by systemically injecting treatment at the roots of the trees. This will slowly and methodically begin treating the entire tree and ridding it of the pest. 
2. In addition to the systemic treatment, we spray the entire tree with a growth regulator. This doesn’t improve the growth of the tree, it speeds up the process of getting rid of Bark Scale. 
3. In the fall, Lawn and Pest Solutions applies a dormant oil to the affected tree. This oil smothers and eliminates any remaining insects on the tree except those which are beneficial to the tree (like ladybugs). 
4. Each year afterwards, we do an annual systemic treatment as a preventative to keep the CMBS from returning. This treatment also has a fertilizer which will help your Crape Myrtle thrive in the future.  (Even if you don’t have Bark Scale now you might consider this preventative treatment)

We are here to help.

Crape Myrtles are some of the most beautiful flowering trees we have in the South. These majestic trees enhance our properties, parks, cities and lawns. Contact us today to check on your investment! We have a great system to treat your trees before this Crape Myrtle Bark Scale has a chance to infect your trees. 

Our licensed technicians are trained in recognizing and guiding you in the right direction for treatment and/or prevention. We treat Crape Myrtles in the Memphis, TN area and all over North Mississippi.

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale is a type of insect/pest that attaches itself to the trunk of a Crape Myrtle tree. You might first notice a problem on your Crape Myrtle when you see black areas forming on the trunk or branches. 

According to Clemson University, Crape Myrtle Bark Scale was first found in Texas in 2004. It has now (2021) spread across the South as far across as North Carolina. Most attribute the spread of CMBS to the movement of plant material across the region.

What IS Crape Myrtle Bark Scale?

Though Crape Myrtle Bark Scale SOUNDS like a plant or maybe a part of the tree, it is actually a pest. It covers parts (or eventually all) of the Crape Myrtle tree with a black, sticky soot-like substance. The actual pest, the Bark Scale is a flat, light gray or white pest that feels like felt. If you press on the Bark Scale and it oozes a pink substance, it is active.

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale typically gathers in the branch crotches or at pruning areas, also under loose bark. As CMBS takes over, it begins to literally suck the life (sap) from your tree. The thick, black moldy soot will cover the tree and begin raining down onto everything underneath the tree.

Sidewalks, driveways, shrubs and flowers, garbage cans, pools, toys are at risk. Whatever is under the infected tree will get a black, moldy, sooty stain. In addition to being unattractive, the mold prevents sunlight from reaching the tree.

Should I get rid of Crape Myrtle Bark Scale?

It is commonly accepted that CMBS won’t kill your trees. Bark Scale will most likely affect the number of flowers on your tree. The size of flower clusters and overall vigor in the plant health of your Crape Myrtle trees may also suffer. Crape Myrtle Bark Scale may even cause your trees to flower later than healthy trees. 

For some, the black sooty mold that covers your trees and everything underneath is more cause for concern than tree health. Deciding to treat Crape Myrtle Bark Scale may come down to you deciding to protect the investment you have made in your trees, your landscape, and your property.

How is Crape Myrtle Bark Scale treated?

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale is being treated by licensed lawn and pest technicians like Lawn and Pest Solutions in New Albany, MS. Treatment starts by systemically injecting treatment at the roots of the trees. This will slowly and methodically begin treating the entire tree and ridding it of the pest. 

In addition to the systemic treatment, we spray the entire tree with a growth regulator. This doesn’t improve the growth of the tree, it speeds up the process of getting rid of the Bark Scale. 

In the fall, Lawn and Pest Solutions applies dormant oil to the affected tree. This oil smothers and eliminates any remaining insects on the tree except those which are beneficial to the tree (like ladybugs). 

Each year afterwards, we do an annual systemic treatment as a preventative to keep the CMBS from returning. This treatment also has lawn fertilization ​which will help your Crape Myrtle thrive in the future. Even if you don’t have Bark Scale now you might consider this preventative treatment. 

Crape Myrtles are some of the most beautiful flowering trees we have in the South. These majestic trees enhance our properties, parks, cities, and lawns. Contact us today to check on your investment! Lawn and Pest Solutions has a great system to treat your Crape Myrtles before this Crape Myrtle Bark Scale has a chance to infect your trees. Our licensed technicians are trained in recognizing and guiding you in the right direction for treatment and/or prevention. We treat Crape Myrtles from the Memphis, TN area and all over North Mississippi.

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale (CMBS) is still a “thing” here in North Mississippi and the surrounding areas. Just because we aren’t currently talking about “Crape Murder” (also still a “thing”) doesn’t mean this especially ugly and pretty gross scale insect isn’t making its’ presence known around here.

First of all, what is a “scale insect”?

Oh, you didn’t know either? Well, I googled that for us. If you just want a one click answer, here it is. The easy explanation is that they are insects that suck on a plant, they have a waxy and protective outer coating. They don’t have wings, so they can’t move and their outer coating eventually turns to a matted felt like texture. They secrete a fluid (called honeydew) that is sticky and attracts other insects like pests. The CMBS is tiny and about the length of the thickness of a dime. Once it lays eggs on your Crape Myrtle, it dies. 

So what’s the harm?

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale isn’t as harmful as some of the other things that might be lurking in your lawn, that’s the good news. But let’s be honest, the reason we all love a Crape Myrtle is that it is a beautiful tree. It is pretty tough, it grows back even when you try to murder it and it just exudes Southern charm. So, we don’t want our lovely Crape Myrtle to be covered in this gross, sticky, layer of life sucking scale insects, right? Not only does CMBS make the trunk and limbs of your tree look and feel yucky, it also tends to exude a black or gray sooty mold. This mold makes your tree dark and it also falls over everything under your tree. You may have noticed the black mold that appears on driveways, sidewalks, garbage cans, children’s toys, etc. 

Sooty mold isn’t the only problem.

Again, we planted this Crape Myrtle for the beautiful flowers…right? When the trunk and limbs are covered in scale insects that are slowing sucking life from the tree, guess what happens? It is going to affect not only the quantity of your flowers and blooms, but also the quality. It won’t kill your tree, but your tree won’t be living its’ best life covered in this pest. This expert from Oklahoma gives us a great up close view of Crape Myrtle Bark Scale and discusses ways a homeowner can treat it. Oh, and one last really gross issue with CMBS, when you crush it, a pink blood-like liquid is exuded. I couldn’t let that go without being said.

What can be done?

One of the zillion cool things about nature, is that sometimes, nature can try and take care of itself. In this instance, it’s the lady beetle . If you are so lucky to be visited by her, she can attack and eat up lots of Crape Myrtle Bark Scale. Before the Lady Beetles pupate, they can clean up a lot of problems, so if you see these friends, leave them alone! Let them do their job. Here’s a cool and short video of a lady beetle feasting on Crape Myrtle Bark Scale. 

If you like to think of yourself as a “Do it yourselfer” 

As mentioned above, you can wash off the trunks and limbs that you can reach. You can also cover the tree in dormant oil for the winter to kill off any remaining scale. You don’t have to commit “crape murder” and you don’t have to cut down your trees. If you decide to do just that, please be careful in the removal of the cuttings, as this can easily spread to other healthy trees and lawns if not handled properly. 

We can help you.

Climbing ladders and scrubbing your trees may not be in your fall plans, but saving your trees and lawns, it’s what we do.If you have determined that you have a tree or trees that are infested with Crape Myrtle Bark Scale, give us a call. These scale insects are laying eggs now, and now is as good a time as any to handle this problem. If you want the pros to help you, click here to leave a message with our office. If you call during regular office hours, we always answer the phone. If you want to get in touch with us after hours, leave a message on our easy to use Podium link (the photo of the girl in the bottom right corner) and you will be not be missed.

Sorry, but I had to do it, I had to Google “what is Crape Myrtle Bark Xcale”. It’s a long , um…word? Musical term? Disease? Bug? Pest? Flower? Part of a tree? From it’s name (pre-Google of course) it sounds like it could be any of those things. Post Googling, wow. It took a few minutes of looking at images to understand what I was seeing before digging deeper. 

Come on 2020, enough of this.

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale is a type of insect/pest that attaches itself to the trunk of a Crape Myrtle tree. The Bark Scale starts to suck the sap (and life) from your tree. As it lives there, it puts a thick, moldy layer on the tree trunk.  If you have aphids on your trees, this black moldy covering starts pouring black soot down upon everything underneath. Sidewalks, driveways, shrubs and flowers underneath the tree, garbage cans, pools, toys, whatever is under the infected tree will get a black, moldy, sooty stain. Not only that, the mold prevents sunlight from reaching the tree. Sunlight being blocked from a tree is not a good thing, we can agree. 

Did I mention this is an insect? 

The Crape Myrtle Bark Scale is not the loveliest of all creations, it is flat and resembles a scale of some sort. It is light gray in color and feels like felt. It may take a few looks to realize that this is an insect, not a weird growth on your tree. When trained technicians check your Crape Myrtle to see if you have this problem, they can cut or press one of the insects to test. 

Brace yourself.

The Crape Myrtle Bark Scale insect, when cut, poked, or pressed…bleeds pink (or red, but pink?) Thank you, Google. Perhaps I was better off thinking this was a musical term. Moving along, this relatively new pest has been spreading its’ way across the South, starting in Texas in 2004. Crape Myrtle Bark Scale has reached North Mississippi and is now being treated by licensed lawn and pest technicians like Lawn and Pest Solutions in New Albany, MS. 

Systemic is a word we use a lot, what does it mean?

In medicine, systemic means affecting the whole body, it is in contrast with topical or local. Our Lawn and Pest Solutions attack on CMBS is a systemic treatment started by injecting treatment at the roots of your Crape Myrtles. This will slowly and methodically begin treating the entire tree and ridding it of the pest.

But what about NOW?

The second step of treatment attacks the Crape Myrtle Bark Scale directly, it has more immediate results, removing the felt like covering on your trunks.  At the end of the season, an oil is applied to the whole tree to prevent the return of the Bark Scale. Our pros recommend that after this three step program, we return to freshen up your systemic treatment and prevent this from happening again. Even if you don’t have Bark Scale now you might consider this preventative treatment. 

Lawn and Pest Solutions has a great system of treatment for your Crape Myrtles. Before this Crape Myrtle Bark Scale has a chance to infect your trees, call us. Our licensed technicians can come by and see if you have already “been exposed” or not, and guide you in the right direction for treatment and/or prevention. Crape Myrtles are some of the most beautiful flowering trees we have in the the South, they enhance our properties, parks, cities and lawns. Contact us today to check on your investment!