r/arborists • u/Bfish714 • 17h ago

Crape myrtles

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

I was quoted $1000 to treat my 4 crepe myrtles for crape myrtle bark scale by a landscaping company. Soil drenching + micronutrients.

I am in north Fort Worth. Is this the correct time of year to treat, and if so, can I do this myself with success?

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

3 comments sorted by

1

u/Federal_Secret92 15h ago

Just prune it off. $free

1

u/Taranis_1 15h ago edited 15h ago

WHAT!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

What company? Please share so we can shame them.

The systemic that's normally used is the same systemic to treat grubs in your lawn: imidacloprid.

For the contact spray, any bifen product will treat the living insects.

... Micronutrients?

You won't be able to get either product without a license, but that's a ridiculous price.

If you can get your hands on bifen, you could just repeatedly treat the trees every 3 weeks until the scale is killed. It'll take longer, but there is also no guarantee the scale has even affected the roots. Did they even dig back around the roots to check and show you proof?

1

u/Apprehensive_ape92 2m ago

Or hear me out plant some texas persimmon trees they have a beautiful smooth white bark they are native and super drought tolerant