What do they look like? Cottony Cushion Scale or Soft Scale. The mature female is oval in shape, reddish brown (underneath) but covered with white waxy hairs 5mm long. An egg sac of white grooved wax is extruded from the body to encase hundreds of bright red eggs.
What do they do? Plants attacked: All citrus, fig, pittosporum, wattle, grevillea, camellia, hydrangeas, dogwood, rose and magnolia.
Can we live with them? No. Sap sucking activity of this insect can cause loss of vigour, but the honeydew and consequent sooty mould may cause greater problems.
How are they controlled? Pick off by hand. Ladybirds (both larvae and adults) love to eat this scale and usually keep it under control. If serious infestations require spraying, use Pest oil or Eco-oil.
Interesting note The cottonycushion scale found its way to the USA in a shipment of oranges where it became a HUGE problem in California. It devastated the orange crop for years as there was no known predator. The Australian ladybeetle was therefore introduced as a biological control and was instrumental in controlling the insect.
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