Brown soft scale

On mahonia, camellia, dogwood, and other hosts you will find glossy brown hemispherical scales clustered on stems and leaf undersides. Heavy infestations coat stems with hundreds of scales, exuding abundant honeydew that becomes covered with sooty mold, blackening areas. Look for this pest in spring and early summer.

Prune and remove heavily infested branches or stems; simplest approach for landscape plants. Apply horticultural oil in March before new growth emerges to smother overwintering scales. If populations persist into summer, target crawlers in late May or June when mobile and vulnerable; oil or insecticidal soap most effective. Preserve parasitoid wasps and predatory beetles.