It is apparent from these tests that, for some pesticides, the lower the concentration

of the pesticide the higher the survivorship. However, these tests were conducted in a

laboratory environment in which the test subjects were in constant contact with the

pesticide for 24 hours. A whole host of factors, such as humidity, UV degradation,

evaporation, and precipitation, will influence pesticide activity in the field. Nevertheless,

whenever possible, insecticidal soaps and fish oils should be used. While many

homeowners use various types of soaps to treat CAS, this method requires treatment

every 10 to 14 days, thus increasing exposure of the beetles to the pesticide. If more toxic

pesticides must be used, then applying them to "hot spots" rather than broadcast spraying

may protect the scale predators from complete annihilation. This type of selective

spraying may also protect other entomophagous insect populations from being decimated

(Kuznetsov 1997). The results of these laboratory experiments yield some baseline data

from which more research in the field can be conducted.