Weeping Willow and Crepe Myrtle Decline: Scale Insects, Not Shock

Newly Planted Trees with Yellowing, Dieback, and Oval Bumps

6-week-old weeping willow and crepe myrtle show yellowing, brittle branches, soft oval bumps on trunk (scrapable, no liquid). Bordeaux mix suggested but wrong.

Diagnosis: Scale Insects

Oval, scrapable bumps = scale. They suck sap, cause yellowing, defoliation, death. Bordeaux (fungicide) doesn’t kill insects.

Treatment

Apply Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insecticide (imidacloprid) soil drench per label. Systemic kills scale in 1–2 weeks, protects 8 months. Works on both species.

Note

Crepe myrtle replanted elsewhere doing well except minor powdery mildew—remove affected leaves.