Should I be worried?

[GavinG]

This is growing on a couple of branches of a weeping crab apple. What is it, and what can I do about it?

(Enjoy the ladybird. After they bulldozed everything for a km around our new home, the ladybirds were the first signs of life to return. Snails somewhat slower.)

P1050636.jpg

Gavin

[Andrew Legg]

Looks like Wooly Aphid to me, but I may be wrong.

[Paul B]

Looks like wooly aphids to me, give em a blast with the hose or a little white oil

[Watto]

If they are crimson colour when crushed, its wooly aphids. Generally if the attack is noy too bad you can crush them, if is big you might want to spray.

[Tony Bebb]

The lady beetles should be eating them, so if not too bad and there are lots of lady beetles, natures biological control may take care of it. If the tree is healthy why don't you observe and see what happens. Lady beetle lava also look alot like mealy bug/wooly aphids in that they are white and fluffy.

Tony

[Roger]

My recollection with wooly aphids on apple trees in the ground was that they also live on the roots and crawl up to the branches periodically (can't remember whether that is only in spring. So, by just crushing those on the branches, you may not be dealing with the more diificult to eraticate part of the infestation. I'd not wait for the ladies to clean out some, I'd be out there now and getting rid of every one in sight. Yes, you should be worried. They can make a mess of a very big tree, so a mini one might just be for a snack, if this is what i recall.

[Tony Bebb]

Spraying is recommended to be to soak the tree and the soil to get to the breeding under the soil at the base of the trunk. Youngens came out from the soil and climb the tree. Bad infestations should have a couple of repeated treatments. I use Confidor, but most systemic pesticides will do.

Thanks Roger. I've always known your recall to be like an encyclopedia prof

Tony

[GavinG]

Ah...

Thanks for the info. How do I soak the roots in Confidor? (I've just got a spray bottle of the stuff.) Is there concentrate available, and do you dilute it more than usual for a soak, or less than usual? I do want total annihilation, I don't want dead tree.

Gavin

[witchstreet]

Yes, Gavin, there is a Confidor Concentrate available at Bunnings. It is in a small white squeeze bottle. You need to use it up pretty quickly as the lid doesn't reseal very well. I'd be trying a solution with Eco-Neem in it into a tub and soak the tree, soil and branches and all. See if anything floats to the top. Good luck!

[Tony Bebb]

Sorry Gavin, I don't soak it by submerging, just thouroughly spray leaves, stems and trunk then tip a bit around the base of the trunk.

The concentrate Witchstreet mentioned is the go. More economical and only 6 drops per litre.