I was finally able to make it into the field on Monday! Of course, I had to nurse my sore knee through the wet snow and mud on slippery slopes, but I managed OK with the help of Bryan Davis and Jim Hamilton.
Anyway, I wanted to see how the elongate hemlock scales survived the winter. We collected scales from an area that has never been treated with any insecticides except Di-Syston. What I observed was that about 70% of the scales were dead. Most of the nymphs appeared dead -- 85% mortality. The mature female nymphs were surviving much better. Only 37% of those were dead and some females had eggs ready to hatch.
What will that mean for scale this year? It certainly was affected by the winter weather, but there is still plenty left alive to start all over again this year. Also, treating now for scales probably wouldn't do much, as the most resilient form, the adult female, is about all that's left.
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