Calls are rolling in about what is this nasty black and white fungus looking stuff on my crape myrtles? Well guess what, it ...

The bugs are recognized by the small white bumps they build on crape myrtle stems and especially by the black sooty mold that’s a side effect of their “honeydew” (excreted waste). The bugs and/or ...

Dear Neil: Regarding crape myrtle bark scale – Southeastern Virginia has been battling this pest for years. The scale itself will not kill the plants. However, the sooty mold is the real problem.

Crape myrtle bark scale insects also excrete sticky honeydew, which is a favorable environment for unsightly black mold.

Quick aside: Crepe myrtle ( Lagerstroemia indica) also is known as crape myrtle or crapemyrtle, which are the preferred ...

Dear Neil: Regarding crape myrtle bark scale — Southeastern Virginia has been battling this pest for years. The scale itself will not kill the plants. However, the sooty mold is the real problem ...

Dear Reader: The white spots on the bark might be crape myrtle scale, a relatively new insect first observed in Richardson in 2004. It has since spread to other parts of the state.

IN THE GARDEN: Diagnosing and treating a crape myrtle affected by bark scale insects March 21, 2025 by Janet B. Carson Follow this story ...

However, a new pest is causing some concern. Crape myrtle scale, which first appeared in the Dallas area in 2004, seems to be spreading and has found its way to Brazos County.