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Produce => Pests & Diseases => Topic started by: aquilegia on May 31, 2005, 13:47:31
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Noticed this morning that the top leaves of my apple tree (small patio one) have curled. On closer inspection, I saw a load of aphids - weird looking ones, kind of grey and furry. Are these wooly aphids?
Should I get rid of them? Will they do the tree much harm? (I'm a softy, I don't like killing things unless I really have to!)
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Not 'woolly' ones - just 'ordinary'. Get out & squidge them all - or pick off the leaves. They are already so curled that the tree won't miss them.
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Wooly aphids do attack fruit; I think they tend to bef ound on the twigs rather than the leaves. If it's a small pot tree, you could try a little paintbrush and methylated spirit.
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There is no mistaking woolly aphids, they really are covered in white wool, like your tree has been used by sheep as a scratching post. It is not wool though, rather strands of wax, which is why the meths works. It dissolves the covering and the aphid underneath dies of thirst!
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I have an old apple tree which suffers from woolly aphid and I've planted nasturtium under it as this was recommended as an organic fix. It did seem to work and the tree certainly didn't suffer as badly last year. It could have been down to more rain though as I think my tree suffers more in dry weather.
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I'm glad somebody has mentioned aphids...
I didn't spot many last year: this year Thousands! Especially in the greenhouse. Have I done something wrong? Is it the weather??
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If it gets too bad you can knock them back with a spray of water with a bit of (hopefully biodegegradable) washing up liquid in it.
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Thanks Robert,
I'm armed with soft soap, even though obliterarating 'pests' isn't really my thing. Do you think there is any cause to the problem?
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Aphids feed on plants, and if nothing eats them, they multiply. Theyparicularly like plants which have been weakened by something, so are yours healthy? Have they multiplied to the point where plant growth is being distorted? Unless it's really bad, I probably wouldn't bother.
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Yes, a few seedlings have got a bit distorted, especially basil and peppers. Which I've thrown on the compost heap so no great loss there...
I wondered if the strange weather had reduced the number of aphid predators?
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I haven't seen many ladybirds yet, come to think of it. I hope the hoverflies multiply later. For greenhouses, you can get a biological control from HDRA.
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I think you're right, time for biological control.
(Ugh, more money!)
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I sprayed with garlic water last year,. One clove in my hand sprayer with water and shaken before use. it tends to block the nozzle a bit but it seemed to work, using it on my carrots and roses etc, anything prey to aphid attack
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You could try rhubarb tea, it's good for aphids.
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Oh ta for that. Didn't know that. I shall go and hack some down in a bit and get spraying ;D
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I have a small rose bush, planted a few weeks ago, which was developing a large aphid community. Today I saw a blue tit feeding on it, so I checked, and 95% of the aphids are gone.
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I was thinking the other day that I seem to have a lot more ladybirds and little lb 'dragons' than this time last year. Maybe I've got your share Robert? (And no, you can't have them back!!)
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When I first took the plot on, there was masses of ground elder, cow parsley and hemlock flowering on my plot, which brought in the hoverflies big time. Now it's all under control, there are a lot fewer flowers of the type which attract them, and thus less larvae eating the aphids. I'm not sure why there aren't so many aphids, yet at any rate. At least I have blue tits!