← Pests

Pine needle scale

Chionaspis pinifoliae

78 host plants

Last updated

Data Coverage 2 of 6 dimensions
Host Plants
GDD Threshold
Peak Activity
Damage Severity
Monitoring
Regional Notes

You will see small white elongate scales about one-tenth inch long covering needles of pine, spruce, fir, and other conifers. Heavily infested trees appear flocked with white. Infested needles turn yellow then brown and drop. Twigs and branches die back progressively. The pest overwinters as eggs beneath scale covers, with reddish crawlers migrating in May and June.

Dormant oils applied before bud break target overwintering eggs effectively. Monitor for crawler emergence in late spring and apply contact sprays if heavy infestation is confirmed. Scrub scales manually from valuable ornamental specimens. Predators including mites and parasitoid wasps control many populations naturally. Stress reduction through proper care enhances recovery.

Quick Reference

Order
Hemiptera
Type
scale
Host Plants
78
GDD₃₂ Egg hatch/crawler 2nd gen
4,822
Indicator: Goldenraintree full bloom

Pine needle scale Egg hatch/crawler 2nd gen typically begins around 4822 GDD₃₂. As of April 3, 2026, Puget Sound stations range from 1070 to 1180.6 GDD₃₂, approximately 3641 units before the expected threshold.

Regional Season Tracker

GDD₃₂ accumulation across 7 Puget Sound stations · as of Apr 3, 2026
Station GDD₃₂ Current Stage Next To Go
Issaquah / East King 1,181 Pre-season Egg hatch/crawler 2nd gen 3,641
Seattle / UW 1,171 Pre-season Egg hatch/crawler 2nd gen 3,651
Kent / Auburn 1,111 Pre-season Egg hatch/crawler 2nd gen 3,711
Olympia / Tumwater 1,106 Pre-season Egg hatch/crawler 2nd gen 3,716
Bellingham / Whatcom 1,101 Pre-season Egg hatch/crawler 2nd gen 3,721
Tacoma / Puyallup 1,075 Pre-season Egg hatch/crawler 2nd gen 3,747
Sequim / Rain Shadow 1,070 Pre-season Egg hatch/crawler 2nd gen 3,752
Regional estimate

Source: Herms (OSU) phenological tables: 305 GDD₅₀ egg hatch 1st generation, Secrest Arboretum OH 1997-2001 (Table 4); 277 GDD₅₀ Dow Gardens MI 1985-1989 (Table 3). Profile value 307 near-exact match with OH data. Rutgers: 298-448 GDD₅₀ crawler emergence corroborates. Updated 2026-04-03. About GDD₃₂ →

Cultural Controls

  • Provide proper culture for trees.
  • Healthy plants tolerate insect feeding more easily.
  • Hand-wipe to control minor infestations on small trees.
  • Prune and destroy heavily infested branches, when possible.
  • Avoid use of broad-spectrum insecticides which kill ladybird beetles, parasitic wasps, and other natural controls.

Host Plants (78)

Agathis australis Kauri Tāne Mahuta, Kauri Pine Araucaria araucana Monkey Puzzle Tree, Chilean Pine Araucaria bidwillii Bunya Pine Araucaria cunninghamii Hoop Pine, Moreton Bay Pine Araucaria heterophylla Norfolk Island Pine Athrotaxis laxifolia Tasmanian Pencil Pine, Summit Cedar Cephalotaxus harringtonia Japanese Plum Yew, Cow's Tail Pine Glyptostrobus pensilis Chinese Swamp Cypress, Water Pine Water Fir Shui song Microcachrys tetragona Creeping Pine, Creeping Strawberry Pine Picea abies Norway Spruce Picea abies var. pendula Weeping Norway Spruce, Pendulous Norway Spruce Picea asperata Dragon Spruce Picea breweriana Brewer Spruce, Brewer's Weeping Spruce Picea engelmannii Engelmann Spruce Picea gemmata Szechwan Spruce Picea glauca White Spruce, Canadian Spruce, Skunk Spruce Picea koyamae Koyama's Spruce, Yatsugatake-tohi [Japanese] Picea mariana Black Spruce, Bog Spruce, Swamp Spruce Picea omorika Serbian Spruce Picea orientalis Caucasian Spruce, Oriental Spruce Picea pungens Colorado Spruce Picea pungens var. glauca Colorado Blue Spruce Picea rubens Red Spruce Picea sitchensis Sitka Spruce Picea wilsonii Wilson's Spruce Pinus albicaulis Whitebark Pine, Scrub Pine, White Pine Pinus aristata Bristlecone Pine, Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Interior Bristlecone Pinus attenuata Knobcone Pine Pinus banksiana Jack Pine, Scrub Pine, Banksian Pine, Hudson Bay Pine Pinus bungeana Lacebark Pine, Whitebark Pine, Baipi Song Pinus canariensis Canary Island Pine Pinus cembra Swiss Stone Pine Pinus contorta Lodgepole Pine Pinus contorta var. contorta Shore Pine Pinus contorta var. latifolia Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Pinus coulteri Coulter Pine, Bigcone Pine Pinus densiflora Japanese Red Pine Pinus edulis Pinyon Pine, Piñón Pine, Two-needle Pinyon Colorado Pinyon Pinus elliottii Slash Pine, Swamp Pine Pinus flexilis Limber Pine, Rocky Mountain White Pine Pinus halepensis Aleppo Pine, Jerusalem Pine Pinus heldreichii Bosnian Pine, Snakeskin Pine Pinus jeffreyi Jeffrey Pine, Western Yellow Pine, Bull Pine Pinus kwangtungensis Kwangtung Pine, Guangdong Pine Pinus lambertiana Sugar Pine Pinus leucodermis Bosnian Pine Pinus monophylla Singleleaf Pinon Pine, One-leaved Pine Pinus monticola Western White Pine Pinus mugo Mugo Pine Pinus mugo var. pumilio Mugo pine, Dwarf Mugo pine Pinus nigra Austrian Pine Pinus parviflora Japanese White Pine Pinus parvifola Pinus parvifola Pinus pinaster Maritime Pine, Cluster Pine, Turpentine Pine Pinus pinea Italian Stone Pine, Umbrella Pine Pinus ponderosa Ponderosa Pine, Western Yellow Pine Pinus pumila Japanese Stone Pine, Dwarf Siberian Pine Pinus radiata Monterey Pine Pinus resinosa Red Pine Pinus sabiniana Gray Pine, Foothill Pine Pinus strobiformis Southwestern White Pine, Mexican White Pine, Chihuahua White Pine Pinus strobus Eastern White Pine Pinus sylvestris Scots Pine, Scotch Pine Pinus thunbergii Japanese Black Pine Pinus virginiana Virginia Pine, Scrub Pine, Jersey Pine Pinus wallichiana Himalayan Pine, Bhutan Pine Pinus yunnanensis Yunnan Pine Pseudotsuga macrocarpa Bigcone Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir Blue Douglas-fir Inland Douglas-fir Colorado Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga wilsoniana Taiwan Douglas-fir Sciadopitys verticillata Japanese Umbrella Pine, Umbrella Pine Tsuga canadensis Canadian Hemlock, Eastern Hemlock Tsuga canadensis var. pendula Weeping Hemlock Tsuga diversifolia Northern Japanese Hemlock Tsuga heterophylla Western Hemlock Tsuga mertensiana Mountain Hemlock Wollemia nobilis Wollemi Pine