• The leaves of infested canes show signs of tip drying and unhealthy pale green colour and severe infestation causes yellowing.
• Severe desapping leads to non-opening of leaves, which also turn yellow and finally dry up.
• Infested crop losses its vigour, canes shrivel, growth is stunted and the internodal length is reduced drastically.
• Ultimately cane dries up. Such canes when slit open appear brownish red. 
• Thick brown encrustations are seen on the nodal and intermodal regions in severely affected canes.

• Nymph: Females multiply ovo-viviparously. The nymphs that hatch out from the eggs within the female’s body come out through the genital aperture. They are called ‘crawlers’. They settle after selecting suitable site for feeding.
• Adult: Greyish black or brown circular scales, they cover the nodal region forming a thick encrustation.

Cultural method:

• Use resistant varieties like CO 439, CO 443, CO 453, CO 671, CO 691 and CO 692
• Select and plant the scale insect free setts.
• Keep the fields and bunds free from weeds.
• Avoid water stagnation in the field for a longer period.
• Avoid repeated ratoons.

Physical method:

• Detrash the crop at 150th and 210th day of plnting.
• Setts should be dipped in dichlorvos at 1ml per lit of water and placed in cement bags with the mouth tied and transported to planting area

Biological method:

• Release Chilocorus nigritus (or) Pharascymnus horni egg card @ 5cc/ac
• Also release hymenopteran parasitoides like anabrotepis mayurai, cheiloneurus sp and predatory mites like saniosulus nudus and tyrophagus puttseartiae which feed on scale insect.

Chemical method:

• Pre-soak the setts in 0.1% solution malathion.
• Spray dimethoate @ 2ml/ lit along with sticker after detrashing.
• Apply contact insecticides like dichlorvos or any @ 2ml/lit of water by using hand sprayer.