Have you noticed the crepe myrtles around town.  Many are covered by a black scale from the roots to the top of the tree.  This is called crepe myrtle bark scale.  It is a nasty looking scale that will eventually kill the tree without you treating it.  

     One way to treat is to wash the tree.  Use water mixed with dishwashing soap(like dawn).  Take a brush and scrub all over the tree, including the limbs.  

     I prefer to recommend the chemical treatment.  Fertilome tree and shrub drench is the easiest and most used chemical.  Just measure the circumference(distance around the tree trunk) in inches at chest height. or at 4.5 feet from the soil.  Mix 1 oz. of Fertilome tree and shrub drench per inch of circumference of the tree trunk to 1 gallon of water.  Apply the solution to the root zone as a band around the base of the tree.  The chemical in this drench is Imidacloprid.  I’ve mentioned Imidacloprid many times in my articles.  It is one of the newer chemicals and really does a good job.  It is systemic so that the tree roots just suck it up and it runs all through the tree.  It may take more than 1 application but it is still the best solution.  Washing the tree before would not be a bad idea also.

   Don’t be afraid of the drench because it is so much easier than spraying.  Good luck with this and go check the trees.

(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal.)