What is Attacking My Sago's?
by Angela Elder
+14
Anybody know what the white stuff is? It is on 2 of my Sago's in my front yard.
14 answers
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Your Sago is infested with either Scale or Mealy bugs both which need to to be treated with insecticidal soaps & horticultural oils and sprays. You will also have to treat the soil because of these pests lay eggs and will come back. You can also use rubbing alcohol by rubbing each leaf with a cotton ball or q-tip with rubbing alcohol but it appears your Sagos are rather large. You can also try rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and spray the plant. I have read that putting coffee grounds around the base help deter the pests. Whatever you do, you need to take action now. I would make sure to treat these plants every few days to eradicate any future infestations. So if you have nothing to treat right now, then I suggest giving your sagos a shower with a solution of water and Ivory dishwashing liquid. Getting all the white pests off. then rinse well. Then get to the store for insecticidal soap to treat the plant every few days. Repot? Or are they in the ground? Treat the soil accordingly. good luck
![The Garden Frog with C Renee]()
The Garden Frog with C Renee
on Oct 29, 2013
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A particular type of scale affects sago palms, Cycad Aulacaspis Scale, and it can kill them if you do not act. It has been a problem in Florida for years, and there are are sections of the state where there are almost no sagos left. See advice here: http://polkmastergardener.ifas.ufl.edu/hot_topics/sago_palm_white_stuff.shtml
![Douglas Hunt]()
Douglas Hunt
on Oct 29, 2013
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I agree
![K4_249269]()
K4_249269
on Oct 29, 2013
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Thanks so much for the info, I will start right away! They are quite large, at least 4-5 feet across and about 5 feet high, in the ground. I have also heard since I posted this that others all over town are experiencing the same thing. This is the first time I have ever had a problem. I will definitely have to spray them, as there are too many leaves to wipe by hand. I also drink a lot of coffee and will use those grounds around the bottoms. Thanks again!!
![Angela Elder]()
Angela Elder
on Oct 29, 2013
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I would have to agree. when I first saw it my thought was scales. good luck!
![Kendra Jones]()
Kendra Jones
on Oct 30, 2013
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I saved mine by spraying it with Pam. Tried and true. This really works!
![Kathy]()
Kathy
on Oct 30, 2013
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yuck that makes me skin crawl! Good luck to you !@Douglas Hunt has provided some excellent information and advise for you. Let us know the results
![360 Sod (Donna Dixson)]()
360 Sod (Donna Dixson)
on Oct 30, 2013
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fuzzy scale 1 you need to use a systemic insecticide. 2 cut off any real bad fronds and then clean the insects off with dishsoap and water. you will need to reapply the systemic every 3 weeks for at least 4 applications then you can cut back to every 6-8 weeks to maintain them insect free. I would also soapwash them at the same time I applied the systemic for the first 4 applications. you can use a hose on sprayer for the soap application to make it easier but you do need to clean them off so they can transpire. because scale doesn't nessessarly kill by feeding they kill by suffocation
![April E]()
April E
on Oct 30, 2013
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our local large nursery will not carry them due to the severe spread of the scale.
![Sandra R]()
Sandra R
on Oct 30, 2013
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white scales, grrr just got these nasty things on my cat whisker plants, take off the infected parts, i washed them in lemon dishsoap, sprayed with alcohol then a good insecticide
![Kat Davis-Moran]()
Kat Davis-Moran
on Nov 03, 2013
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Also remember that this becomes air borne, too. So after treating with your insectidical soap spray for several times then carefully cut off and place in a bag so as not to spread. Just treat like it's a communicable disease, :) To manage my 2 sagos, I spray periodically with a mixture of Murphy's oil soap and water and they have become beautiful again.
![Beth Barney]()
Beth Barney
on Nov 04, 2013
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I can't really cut off the infected parts without cutting the entire plants leaves off. The whole thing is infested. All that will be left will be the trunk. If I spray them will the ones that come off into the grass affect some other plant or is it just the Sago they like?
![Angela Elder]()
Angela Elder
on Nov 04, 2013
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Thank you Douglas!
![Angela Elder]()
Angela Elder
on Nov 05, 2013
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An update......I ended up removing them altogether and replacing them with pygmy palms. Turns out, almost every single sago in our town is infected. There are some really old ones here too, some that were kept as "trees" instead of bushy, about 25 feet tall, and even those are infected. Our whole town may lose all of them. I live in Lake Jackson Texas....(about 60 miles South of Houston, and 8 minutes from the coast)
![Angela Elder]()
Angela Elder
on Oct 28, 2016
The Garden Frog with C Renee
on Oct 29, 2013
Douglas Hunt
on Oct 29, 2013
K4_249269
on Oct 29, 2013
Kendra Jones
on Oct 30, 2013
Kathy
on Oct 30, 2013
360 Sod (Donna Dixson)
on Oct 30, 2013
April E
on Oct 30, 2013
Sandra R
on Oct 30, 2013
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