My First Memory Of Snow.
The first time I saw “snow” in Florida was when I was entering the Strawberry Festival Plant Show my freshman year of high school. I had purchased five 15 gallon Sago Palms to sell at the Festival. After “raising” them for several months, they are inspected before accepting them into the plant tent. We unloaded and the inspector called me over and pointed out the little specks on one of the Sago palms. He called it Asian Scale. He told me to get a wet soapy rag and pick all the scaly pests off and they would accept them. Not knowing then how scales infested and grew, I did what he said; after all, I had been taking care of them for several months and I wanted the chance to make my money back!
I Wish I Knew Then What I Know Now.
Those five Sago palms were bought by a company and were planted out front of their office. Slowly, each Sago died over a period of several years. Although it is not conclusive, I’m sure the snowy scale is to blame. Being unaware, I still entered the plants. Knowing what I know now, I would have detected the scale before trying to enter the show and taken care of the problem.
Unopposed Outsiders.
Asian Cycad Scale, Aulacaspis yasumatsui, was introduced to the Miami Dade area in 1996 from Thailand. It has no known natural predators so it can run rampant easily if left alone. It is most common on Sago palms which you do not see nearly as often since the past decade. There is a lot of research going into how to prevent the scale, kill it, and to find a natural enemy. Not much progress has been made yet.
Appearances Are Deceiving.
The scale is made up of male and female scales, each shaped differently and very small. They first attack the cone and lower fronds of the palm. High infestations, the palm appears to be covered in snow and crusty all over. They can also develop on the roots which can cause repeated infestations. A problem with armored scale insects is even after you have killed them, they continue to remain on the plant. This is a problem because new scales can develop on top of the dead scales, making it hard to determine which are dead and which are not.
How To Shake Them. 
Dead scales do not smear on the leaf when you move them; they just come off the plant. To get the dead scales off, you are limited in options. You can manually scrap the scales off (like I did all those years ago) or you can use a high pressured water stream to knock the scales off. Brushes are also recommended. Cutting the dead infested fronds off will not cure the problem and only stress the palm more. The horticulture industry is desperately seeking a remedy for this problem; “A practical treatment that loosens old scales of armored scale insects would be a welcome development in horticulture and plant protection.”
Die, Die, Die!
They are called “armored” scaled for a reason. Few pesticides have been found to consistently work on killing the scales.
Scientists believe it may have something to do with Cycads, Sago Palms in particular, decreasing their metabolic activity and therefore do not absorb systemic insecticides during certain periods. This assumption is still under investigation for further review and to better understand these palms.
Fish oil seems to be the go to solution for these pests. It is recommended to mix with water and spray the palm and surrounding ground liberally. Please read article for specific instructions. A Few days after treatment, attempt to remove any dead scales. Repeat the treatment of fish oil. Many people continue treatment several times after the scale is dead because they do not come off the plant. However, although it is not proven, the oil may assist in the dead scales falling off. Generally the dead scales get infested with fungi and fall off on their own.
The oil is really more of a preventative approach and may take several months to control outbreaks. The oil keeps the crawling larvae from setting on the plant and may kill mature female scales. To help with a time line, it takes a scale 28 days to develop into a mature adult. Females lay 100 eggs which hatch in 8-12 days. Mature females can live for up to 75 days.
Who Doesn’t Want Snow Year Round?
The problem with this scale, although it only attacks certain palms, it will eventually kill the palm. It has been reported on a few Florida native palms like Coontie Palm (Zamia floridana) and Cardboard Palm (Zamia furfuracea) but scientists do not feel they are majorly threatened.
The scale will progress until it covers the entire palm. It will also spread easily. I read in another article that you should tell your neighbors if you find it on your property so they can begin treatment as well. The scale may take several months to clear up, even if the scale is dead.
Dig Deeper.
The University of Florida IFAS research is always dependable, up to date, and reliable. I recommend their system for any research you may need to do.
For more information and specific instructions on treatment check out the links below:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in253
http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/Hort/cycadscale.shtml
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