Tree scales

[Walter Gordon]

I have been fighting oyster (?) scales on my tulip poplar tree for several years. The local nurseries seem not to be able to come up with the correct product for spraying the tree. I have used Malathion 50, Orthenex Insect & Disease Control, Dragon Fruit Tree Spray all with little results. I sprayed every 10 days while they were active. I can readily see the sticky substance on the leaves which I have been informed is their excrement. I am slowing losing my tree. It is now approaching 25-30 feet tall and thinning out at the bottom due to dead branches caused by the scale. Help!!!!
Walter L. Gordon
Chesapeake, VA

 

[Toddppm]

I'm in Va. too but I don't think I've ever noticed oysterscale on Poplars? They're mostly in the Oaks. Anyway if that's what's getting them, your best bet is to spray oil in the dormant season to smother them. The lower limbs dying off may just be natural selection losing uneeded lower limbs. They excrement is probably from aphids which are much more common on poplars,(they're busy covering my vehicles now from a 100ft. poplar in my front yard)

 

[Deere John]

I agree with Todd - trees naturally lose their lower branches as the tree grows and blocks light to those branches.