aphids in fruit trees
- Subject: aphids in fruit trees
- From: "Cathe'" c*@chico.com
- Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2006 07:05:11 -0700
Anna,
My experience with aphids in fruit trees has been that the aphids are herded
by ants for the "honeydew" they secrete.
Ants may be playing a role in the success of aphids spreading in your
trees.
If you can control the ant population, you can cause a significant reduction
in aphid populations. Take a look at the aphid-infested trees for ants. If
ants are observed, buy a little tub of Tanglefoot - a sticky gooey
substance.
Tightly wrap the trunk of the tree about 1 foot off the ground with a few
sheets of newspaper folded to make a 3 inch wide collar. Use masking tape
(or other tape) to keep the newspaper in place. Apply the Tanglefoot
directly onto the newspaper and tape, but don't let the Tanglefoot touch
the bark of the tree.
You could spray the aphids and ants with water to get them out of the tree
before you do all this.
I have heard that a barrier of bone meal or crushed charcoal may also keep
ants away. Some people swear by citrus oils.
As a last restort, you could destroy colonies of aphid-tending ants.
Ants are considered beneficial insects and eliminating them may not be an
environmentally balanced strategy.
Also, while they look bad, in general, aphids don't do much damage to the
trees.
Cathe'
Zone 7
Sierra foothills
----- Original Message -----
----- Original Message -----
From: <ingreab@comcast.net>
To: <Cc:>
Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2006 9:39 PM
> Hello
> I wonder if some of you might be able to help me with a problem I am
> having with aphids.
>
> About a third of my garden is currently infested. I have gardened
> organically for the last twenty years and would like a solution which
> maintains this process.
>
> The aphids seem heaviest in the cherry, plum and apple trees, (dense
> and poor circulation) under which I feed the birds, who seem
> decidedly uninterested in the aphids, and much more inclined to eat
> peanuts and sunflower seeds. These trees stand next to a fence
> between me and a neighbor who I don't particularly care for and want
> to maintain, at the least, a visual boundary. So removing the trees
> is not an option. I understand that one can spray with a garlic
> solution, with a neem solution, with an insecticidal soap
> solution, with a water soluble oil solution, etc. What I don't know
> is whether these sprays are harmless to birds, and cats. I have one
> arthritic cat who can no longer hunt, but who lies on the cedar
> mulch, sunning himself, and hoping a bird will kindly hop onto his paws.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions?
>
> Thanks
>
> Anna
> Gardening in Portland, OR, Zone 8
>
>
>
