Minute Cypress Scale

How to identify it

• Female covers are white and parchment-like, circular to oval, up to about 1 to 1.5 mm, with a yellow center; male covers are oblong and white.^[1][2]
• They are so small that infestations are easily overlooked; a dull, off-color plant is often the first sign.^[1][2]

Where it lives

Found in the Northeast and in North Carolina.^[1][2]

Biology and life cycle

Mature females overwinter on the foliage and in the Northeast lay up to 40 reddish-yellow eggs by May; crawlers appear in mid to late May.^[1]

Damage and signs

• It is a serious pest of junipers and Leyland cypress, causing dieback, leaf drop and, with other stresses, plant death.^[1][2]

Health risk

None to people or pets.^[1][2]

Control

Traps and physical control

Prune out and destroy heavily infested branches where it won't disfigure the plant.^[1]

Biological control

Many natural enemies attack it, including parasitic wasps and lady beetles.^[1]

Pesticides

Horticultural oil applied twice about 14 days apart should give adequate control.^[2]

Related profiles

• Juniper Scale
• Scale Insects

Common questions

Why does my Leyland cypress look dull and off-color?

Minute cypress scale is one possibility; look closely for tiny white scales.^[1][2]

Sources

1. UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program (Landscape Insect & Mite Guide), “Carulaspis minima (Minute Cypress Scale).” www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/landscape/publications-resources/insect-mite-guide/carulaspis-minima (accessed 2026-10-16)
2. NC State Extension, “Minute Cypress Scale Insect (PDIC Factsheet).” content.ces.ncsu.edu/minute-cypress-scale-insect (accessed 2026-10-16)
3. iNaturalist, “Carulaspis minima taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/387187 (accessed 2026-10-06)