Wouldn't you just know it, I buy a little bay tree and it was doing so well last summer and autumn and until quite recently. Over the warmer months it had put on quite a bit of leafy growth; all lovely for picking and putting in stews. And, cherishing it, I bring the little plant indoors during winter to stop it perishing from the freezing cold of our rather cold and snowy winter here on the Pennine Mountains of West Yorkshire. Then, recently, I noticed small amounts of sticky stuff appearing on the upper leaves. Checking on the internet, I discovered that it is a sign of scale insect. Seems that Laurus Nobilis, Bay Trees, are prone to such little suckers. So, I inspected the underside, could see very few signs of scale insects, and washed the leaves in soapy water. And still the sticky deposits appeared overnight. So, I then submerged all but the roots of the still small plant in soapy water for over 24 hours, thinking that should kill them. And maybe it did, but on removing the plant from the water, the signs of infestation was seriously clear. The insects must have absorbed some of the water and become more obvious. My little bay tree was was infested with them.
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| Scale insect on Bay Tree (Laurus Nobilis) |
University of Florida,
A Guide to Scale Insect Identification (external link)
According to the above guide, it would appear that the type of scale insect on my bay tree is Soft Brown Scale (Coccus hesperidum L.)
The
Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has advice on Laurus Nobilis and its pests (external link)
And
RHS advice on Scale Insects (external link)
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| Scale insect on Bay Tree (Laurus Nobilis) |
I've remedied the problem, I hope, by severely cutting back the young bay tree and will keep a sharp lookout for signs of scale reappearing. Because I use the leaves in cooking, I am reluctant to use a chemical spray to kill the insects. If the insects reappear, then I am afraid that my little bay tree, much as I love it, will be history. I've no room for sickly plants in my garden.
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Scale insect on Bay Tree (Laurus Nobilis)
Image contrast darkened to emphasis scale infestation |
