Aphid Problem Solved

@PharmerDrewee How close is your mint and chives to your fruit trees?

The flowering plants are probably at most within 30-50 feet from my fruit trees. My yard isn’t very big. I let some vegetables like lettuce bolt so various wasps and bees have a food source all summer in addition to herbs like mint, basil, cilantro, and chives.

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Scolia dubia? I had hundreds of them swarming my yard looking for mates last year. I hope that means I won’t have any Japanese beetles this year!

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Yes, that’s the one! They also parasitize junebug grubs.

Off to the pharmacy I go!

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I have noticed a lot of wasps and bees on my apple tree leaves that have aphids. Could they be eating them? I am really not excited about spraying dish soap, water and alcohol on my trees. Oh what I would give for one bottle of triazicide! Any other solutions out there? Checked two nurseries yesterday no Safer products either.

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I’ve had good success on apples and plums with both neem- and pyrethrin-based sprays. Are those available there?

Neem yes!

There is a company that deals with beneficial insects.I have not tried them,but do have some Lady beetles on my trees.The trick might be to keep them hanging around.

Neem probably will help,but some stuff I used,maybe made by Bayer,had some in it,70% most likely and it hurt the leaves.Getting the cold pressed 100%,might be better.
Vegetable oil should smother them.I use just enough dish soap to emulsify the stuff,in the water.

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I’m not an expert Mrs G, but I would suggest maybe placing some sort of protective barrier between your tree trunk and the petroleum jelly. even if you taped a layer of cardboard and then wrap it in plastic wrap then petroleum jelly? I would personally be worried about the bark being damaged by it.

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Thanks but did your leaves spot or turn brown. I’m so afraid that the oil that I was going to use just might fry my leaves in our hot sun; even if diluted with water.

Possibly look up Summer oils,which are lighter than dormant and have less of a percentage of ingredients.

I read most of this thread thinking that someone must have the best method of aphid prevention. I just finished cleaning aphids off my plum tree foliage which was a five day task. It could be that an unusually long cool and wet spring contributed to the climate that aphids prefer. Nevertheless, this has been by far our worst aphid invasion taking many hours to clean them away. I would love to hear from others if you have found a way to actually prevent a tree invasion? Meanwhile, next spring I plan to mix enough molasses spiked with borax powder to paint all of my plum tree trunks. If it’s actually ants that are starting the infestation I think that may be the best remedy.
Dennis
Kent, wa

Get diatomaceous earth, so organic that it is actually used orally to treat several conditions. It will eliminate your ant problem. Best applied under dry conditions.

I had a singular apple tree (Kerr) that got completely covered in aphids and their ant handlers, I have never seen one this bad. I was also dealing with sawfly larva on currants and plum curculio on Saskatoons so I went nuclear on them; one evening I had several insect problems the next morning I didn’t. The pollinators on the raspberry patch didn’t seem to notice what went down.

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Dennis,
Were yours the Curly Leaf type of Aphids?That’s what usually gets mine.

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Hi Brady
Some were, but in some cases leaves were just packed on the bottom with not a square mm unused by them. In many cases I had curly leaves with no aphids, not sure if they moved on to the next leaf?
Dennis

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From what I understand,as days go by,they move from Plum trees,to other plants,of their liking.

Next spring I will try to monitor very early to try to prevent their spreading, apparently they reproduce very rapidly.

You can say that again; they went insane on my Kerr apple. Their favorite spot was every apple stem and as a proper crab apple tree where were lots of those.

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Thank you but your leaves did change color or spot. I’m worried that the oil I planned to use might cause the burning of my leaves under the scorching sun; even if dilute by water.
Best SMM Panel