ABSTRACT
I inspected our front yard sago palm on a clear fall day, and noted a thin coating that looked like frost, except this was Tampa, Florida and the temperature was 80 degrees. The sparkling sun revealed an infestation of Asian cycad scale (Aulacaspis yasumatsui), a blight that sucks the life out of King and Queen sago palm trees. The microscopically tiny white insect, about 3,000 per square inch, has a tough armor coating and multiplies faster than a duck crossing a superhighway with its tail on fire. In a few months, a 15-foot Queen sago with a spread of over 20 feet will be covered, stems and leaves, with a scale of the nasty beasts. The critters are difficult to eradicate. Even though they don't fly with wings, they can become airborne and spread. When there is a strong wind, the immature form of the insect will land on a sago up to half a mile away. If left uncontrolled, they will eventually kill the plant. I searched the Internet and found a few helpful tips to help my friend from certain demise.
