Sago Palm pest on the rise

A question about a hard to control scale insect, attacking sago palms, was received late last week.

Chances are the pest is the Cycad Aulacaspis scale that can decimate a sago palm if action is not taken.

The Cycad Aulacaspis scale is a tiny white insect that was inadvertently brought to the United States from Thailand and was first identified in Florida during the 1990s.

Like many nonnative insect pest, the scale insect began working its way across the country arriving in the Lone Star state in 2001.

Sago palms are extremely popular landscape plants in the Kingsville area. They are a low maintenance plant and are generally insect free.

However, this relatively new scale pest can literally suck the life out of a sago seemingly overnight.

The Cycad Aulacaspis scale attaches itself to the fronds, inserts its sucking mouth parts and feeds on the plant juices. Control is difficult since the insect’s body is coated with a waxy cover.

This waxy coating slows insecticide penetration making some products essentially impotent.

In addition to the waxy covering, the scales ability to reproduce rapidly and hide in the sago’s root system make control even more difficult.

If infestations are allowed to intensify the pest has the ability to move to neighboring plants by traveling on wind currents.

Yellow spots on the fronds, or leaves, are the first sign of Cycad Aulacaspis scale infestation. As infestations become heavier, plants will develop a powdery white appearance.

Inspection and sanitation are the first steps to keeping the scale insect pest in check. Plants should be inspected weekly for activity.

If scale is suspected, remove the affected fronds and dispose of the cuttings in a double sealed plastic bag to prevent reinfestation.

Following pruning of suspected palms, clean tools thoroughly to reduce the chance of introducing the pest to non-infected sago palms.

Cycad Aulacaspis can also be washed off plants utilizing pressurized water; provided the plant is power washed at least once or twice a week.

Regularly applied spray oils or insecticidal soaps can also help. However, these products must be applied in early morning or late afternoon to reduce the risk of burning the plant.

Keeping a close eye on sago palms and quickly removing and destroying leaves with suspected infestations are key to keeping the Cycad Aulacaspis under control.