San Jose scale

American  

[san hoh-zay skayl] / ˈsæn hoʊˌzeɪ ˈskeɪl /

noun

1. a scale insect, Aspidiotus perniciosus, that is highly destructive to fruit trees and shrubs throughout the U.S.

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San Jose scale British  

noun

1. a small E Asian homopterous insect, Quadraspidiotus perniciosus, introduced into the US and other countries, where it has become a serious pest of fruit trees: family Diaspididae

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Etymology

Origin of San Jose scale

1885–90, named after San Jose, California, where first found

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

San Jose scale

In the 1890s many smaller growers struggled to afford expensive and elaborate controls to combat pests such as San Jose scale and plum curculio.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2023

Maple and oak, the other most abundant street trees, are also at risk from pests such as San Jose scale and Japanese beetles.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 20, 2022

Roses first came to Tyler in the 1920s, prompted by an agricultural disaster: A decade earlier, quadraspidiotus perniciosus — better known as the San Jose scale — decimated the city’s peach crop.

From New York Times ● Nov. 2, 2021

Melander himself had run into difficulty with the San Jose scale, for some years satisfactorily controlled by spraying with lime sulfur.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Whale-oil soap dissolved in water and used as a spray is an effective remedy for the San Jose scale.

From Checking the Waste A Study in Conservation by Mary Huston Gregory

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