Palm date scale
Class: Insects
Common Name
Palm date scale, date white scale, and parlatoria date scale
Scientific name
Parlatoria blanchardi
Potential Hosts
Dates
Who am I?
Palm date scale are a sap-sucking insect of palms that tend to feed and form colonies along palm fronds (leaves). Adults have several millimeter long, oval bodies that are covered with a waxy layer which gives them a grayish-white color. Once settled, females protect and cover their eggs, thus remain mostly immobile. Palm date scale is considered to be a minor pest of low agricultural significance. In very high infestation levels, palm date scale can cause tissue necrosis, on young palm trees that are several years old.
Control measures
Cultural
Monitor: It’s easier and more cost effective to overcome palm date scale during the initial stage of infestation. Make it a routine to monitor the field regularly and search plants for palm date scale presence.
Conventional (chemical)
The following insecticides are used in one or more parts of the world: buprofezin, thiamethoxam, fipronil, and pyriproxyfen.
Organic
Mineral oil can be applied.
Caution and careful notice should be taken when using any plant protection products (insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides). It is the grower’s sole responsibility to keep track of the legal uses and permissions with respect to the laws in their country and destination markets. Always read the instructions written on labels, and in a case of contradiction, work in accordance to the product label. Keep in mind that information written on the label usually applies to local markets. Pest control products intended for organic farming are generally considered to be less effective in comparison to conventional products. When dealing with organic, biologic, and to some extent a small number of conventional chemical products, a complete eradication of a pest or disease will often require several iterations of a specific treatment or combination of treatments.