Question
QUESTION: Gill,
We are not having any luck at growing healthy Golden Euonymus bushes.The problem is they start dying back and I do know they seem to be infested with small white specks on the back side of the leaves. I have tried pesticides but it does not appear to be the right pesticide that is needed. Please throw me a lifeline. Thanks D.B. in AR

ANSWER: Hello Donald

This sounds like Euonymus scale insect.  The white specks you see are the males - the females tend to cluster on the stems and are  darkish brown in color.

The best time to treat an infestation is in the early summer when the eggs are newly hatched and the nymphs are most vulnerable, and again in the fall. Use a bug spray which contains a chemical called malathion.  Follow the instructions on the container.

Hope this helps to clear up the problem.

Gill

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What should I do with the dead or infected, dying part ?

Answer
Hello again Donald

Any dead stems can be cut back to healthy wood and as the infestation seems to be really bad, I'd advise you to spray now.  Keep an eye on the plants over the next 2 weeks or so - you should see the infestation clearing.  

Spray again in late September/early October, unless you see the infestation coming back before then - in that case spray again at once.

Spray next year in early summer.

That should do it!

Gill