How to treat Lilly pilly hedge dying in patches?

[LP314]

 

[JacobZ]

Hi @LP314,

Thank you for your post and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

I can't say I'm 100% sure but it certainly looks like it is insect related. Possibly scale insects.

The first thing I would do is physically remove the clump and monitor it to see if it returns. Wear gloves and a long sleeve shirt as a precaution.

This will help identify what you are dealing with if it is insect related as I suspect, they would not have a home to hide in.

Allow me to tag @Noelle to see what she thinks.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[Noelle]

Hi @LP314 

The clump in your image looks like the pupae casings of a moth or other flying insect, the caterpillars of which have create these in which to pupate and later emerge as the parent insect.  Without scraping the collection off, it is hard to tell if the casings are empty or the pupae are still present. Either way it is best removed.

The larvae that created them are possibly borers into the branches or sap suckers, either of which will affect the overall health of the tree.