Pest Notes : Vol. 2 - Greedy Scale

May 27, 2025

Greedy Scale

AKA Mr. Krabs scale; this scale wants all of your money!

Well, not exactly. But it certainly threatens your landscape investment.

Arbutus ‘Marina’ is a common landscape planted tree. These trees have a moderate growth rate, strong branching structure elegant red bark and beautiful pink or rose-colored flowers. They are commonly planted in parkways, as a centerpiece for a cul-de-sac or residential home, or throughout a landscape.



While these trees have a shorter lifespan than other Arbutus species since it is a hybrid, optimal care can allow them to stand for upwards of 20 years.

Common mistakes when installing this species are:

  1. Planting depth
  2. Shallow frequent watering cycles (planting in turf included)
  3. Aggressive and/or improper pruning
  4. Weed-whacking the base or root collar of a tree


These are all easy fixes. Avoid these mistakes by having a reputable and professional contractor perform tree installations, or a professional company oversee the installations. Protect your investment.


This species of tree develops phytophthora root rot infections commonly. They have also been found to host Bot canker, anthracnose, rust, aphid and thrip.


All of these pests, greedy scale included, are opportunistic. This means they only host stressed plants. Remember, pests are electromagnetic – they operate on a different frequency. When a plant nearby is exhibiting stress, they are on it like white on rice. It is also possible for pathogens or insects to be dormant nearby, and stress signals ‘activate’ them.


Our TreeLife personnel have been running in to greedy scale on strawberry tree very frequently. While this pest doesn’t kill a tree off by itself, it certainly inhibits their growth and function and contributes to the development of more serious issues. While this pest can host a long list of species in our area, we are seeing it on strawberry tree the most frequently.



TreeLife develops plans to not only abate pests but address underlying issues resulting in those pests. Our goal with tree treatments is not to create chemically-dependent landscapes – rather, encourage a landscape and its plants to better take care of themselves, which is what they do!

Get it right the first time. Call TreeLife CA!

Branch of a tree covered in white scale insects; green leaves and blue sky background.

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TreeLife Investigator: Vol. 3 – The American Sweetgum

January 23, 2026

Pest Notes: Vol. 7 - South American Palm Weevil in Orange County and Inland Empire

January 21, 2026
As we enter the new year, new areas are being discovered by the South American Palm Weevil. Arborists have been scanning the Canary Island date palms that dapple the beach front of San Onofre for years. We would pass, glaring through car windshields with a phone in hand, in hopes of capturing a photo of that infamous weevil-infested palm ready to send it off to our Arborist buds. Earlier in 2025, word started passing around that a well-known private real estate development and investment company found a South American Palm Weevil at one of their Orange County properties. The word was: keep it hush hush! Nothing for a while…  All of a sudden, in the middle of the summer, seminars were being held to discuss a plan of action and bring awareness to the fact that the South American Palm Weevil had in fact made its way to Orange County.
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