Number	Risk mitigation measure	Effect on the pest	Evaluation and uncertainties
1	Separation and physical protection of the commodity during production and before export	Yes	Physical separation of the bonsai plants may have limited effect on reducing risk of infestation with pine bast scales, especially in the production base, because the crawlers can go through the net. Uncertainties: – There is no information on whether plants are protected with the net in the storage and packaging place before export. – Precise timing of net protection period is not provided. – There is no information on how the nursery staff enters and exits the net protected area during the production cycle.
2	Growing medium and its treatment	No	Not applicable.
3	Treatment of seeds	No	Not applicable.
4	Insecticide and acaricide treatments	Yes	Spray of contact insecticides can kill the scales that are mobile on the plants at the time of spraying. Uncertainties: – Pine bast scales are generally hidden in bark and in the base of needles, therefore they are difficult to be reached by the insecticides. – Scales are known to develop quick resistance but change of the active compound of insecticides can reduce the risk.
5	Fungicide treatments	No	Not applicable.
6	Nematicide treatments	No	Not applicable.
7	Herbicide treatments and weed management	No	Not applicable.
8	Official inspections during production	Yes	Scales are only visible when they are mobile on the outer bark, although most of the life stages are hidden under the bark. Uncertainties: – Non‐destructive samples can miss the insect, because they can be hidden under the bark. – Scales at low density are not associated with obvious symptoms, therefore they can be missed. – There is no information about the prevalence of scales infested plants in the nursery and surroundings.
9	Official inspections and treatments before export	Yes	Scales are only visible when they are mobile on the outer bark, although most of the life stages are hidden under the bark. Uncertainties: – Non‐destructive samples can miss the insect, because they can be hidden under the bark. – Scales at low density are not associated with obvious symptoms, therefore they can be missed. – There is no information about the prevalence of scales infested plants in the nursery and surroundings.