Lethal Cycad Scale in Florida!

Ornamental cycads (Cycadaceae) in South Florida are highly infested with an introduced armored scale insect from Southeast Asia.
Horticulturists and pest control personnel in the area report that common methods of scale insect control with systemic insecticides, contact insecticides against crawlers, and oils have not been effective in reducing these infestations.

Affected cycads are almost completely coated with a white crust that gives the appearance of a layer of fine snow. The scales suck all the juices out of the leaves, and the cycad dies within a few weeks. At this time, this type of scale does not attack other kinds of plants, only Cycads.

To read more about this new scale and the devastating effects it has on Cycads, take this LINK. An update on the scale can be found at this additional LINK. Several more articles can be found HERE.

If you have purchased Cycads from Florida nurseries (which ship all over the U.S. so they might have shown up in your favorite garden center too), please watch for this scale. It multiplies at a fast rate and can spread to other Cycads in your collection. The only remedy at this point is to destroy the affected plant immediately.

Rest assured that none of our Sago palms at Rhapis Gardens has this lethal scale. I never buy any stock from other nurseries (that includes all the plant species we grow) since it often introduces insects and disease to our 99% problem free, squeaky clean greenhouses.

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