If you have stone fruit trees, you're going to want to pay close attention to this post. Plum Bud Gall Mite has been discovered in Santa Clara County. For those of you unfamiliar with this pest, here's the low-down:

• They are very small (microscopically small). Typically, they are 0.15mm long or less, and are very difficult to see without a magnifying glass. 
• Because of their size, they are difficult to identify before they have started to cause damage to your trees. 
• They are primarily found in the Middle East and Europe. 
• They feed predominately on Almond, Apricot, Peach and Plum trees. 
• The injury they cause to trees can vary, depending on how bad the infestation is and the health of the tree prior to their arrival. They have led to weakened trees, decreased fruit yield, and death. Some trees also recover, and other trees are resistant to this particular mite. ​

You also have a few options available for getting rid of these mites. To learn more, consult the link below:
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources

You can also check out this Plum Bud Gall Mite fact sheet: 

I have a morning routine that includes making the bed, drinking my coffee, feeding my pets, and then walking around the yard and looking at all of my plants. As many of you know, I'm a big fan of gardening. I was just starting my walk around the yard this morning when I noticed scale on my maple tree! For those of you who aren't familiar with scale, here's what they look like (the black-and-white bumps on the branch): 

Overall, it wasn't a great way to start my morning. I love my maple tree; it's the only tree still standing on my property from when we purchased it (the other two mature trees died during the drought a few years ago). The bottom line is that I will not lose this tree. Consider this post a declaration of war on scale. And it's going to be a messy one. 

Scale is, although it may not look like it, an insect. When they are young, they are mobile. They find a tree to infest, and then settle down and create little 'scales' (so named because someone thought they looked like individual scales on a fish). The immobile scales are female; they will slowly become concave over time as their insides fill with eggs. They turn brown and die just before the eggs hatch, at which point tiny insects will migrate up the tree and to neighboring plants to start the cycle again. 

Unfortunately, these little buggers are all over my tree, so if I don't create a treatment plan soon, they could potentially do a lot of damage. They feed on the sap in a tree, and create something called 'honeydew' as a byproduct; ants feed on this honeydew. This should have been my first clue: a fast-moving trail of excited-looking ants moving up the tree trunk. I blew it off as ants being ants. Little did I know, they were alerting me to a potential problem! 

Scale can eventually kill their host tree. The honeydew they produce attracts mold, which can cover the tree branches and leaves and create photosynthesizing problems. The now injured tree is susceptible to other issues and can die as a result. ​

After some online research, I discovered that the specific type of scale I have is Calico Scale, or Eulecanium cerasorum. I broke open one of the scales, as well, so you all can see the eggs growing inside:

Resources:
The Tree Geek
UCANR Master Gardener