It is probably difficult to imagine anything more annoying and indestructible than aphids on an apple tree. Every year in the summer, hundreds of trees are attacked by these small insects, which in a matter of weeks destroy the entire green part and, being fed, begin to multiply. However, not only aphids pose a danger, other insects, such as ants, crawl onto the pad they secrete. In this article, we will look at what types of aphids infect apple trees and how to deal with them in order to get rid of them once and for all.
Aphid species
Before moving on to the types of aphids that spoil apple orchards, we should dwell on what aphids are in nature. This is a miniature insect whose body rarely exceeds 7 mm. Depending on the species and the plants preferred for eating, the color of aphids also varies: light green, dark green, black, gray, orange, light pink.
Aphids belong to the family of phytophages, insects with a proboscis to disturb the upper integument of plants. One of the key features of this type of insect is that in the process of life they leave honeydew on the occupied leaves and stems, a substance with a high sugar content, which ants, wasps, bees and flies are not averse to feasting on. Aphids on an apple tree, it is also red-headed or gray, come from the aphid family. The eggs overwinter on the bark of branches of fruit trees; in spring, females emerge from the eggs and establish a colony on the chosen tree. Their body length is about 2 mm, green with a red head and white antennae, tubes on the back and tail are black.
Females produce up to 40 larvae at a time from which females grow without wings that stick to the underside of the leaves. In June, a generation of females with wings appears, their color changes – the body is black, and the abdomen is green. It is they who become parents for winged and wingless males and females. The peak of development and reproduction of aphids falls on the month of September.
Aphid signs
It is quite easy to identify the presence of aphids on an apple tree – the leaves curl down, turn black and dry out. Gradually, red swellings will appear on the leaves, which precede twisting. The leaves are covered with a sticky liquid – padya, on which ants crawl. In the early stages, the defeat of the tree by aphids is quite difficult to track, since they begin the invasion from the upper young shoots of the tree.
However, over time, there are few fresh leaves for insects and they descend lower, leaving exhausted and dying shoots and leaves behind. On the lower parts of the tree, it is easier to detect the presence of aphids – just turn over any leaf and you will find dozens of larvae. Ants are also one of the symptoms by which you can determine that the plant is infected. Pests also live on the underside of leaves and in buds. Flip the leaf or open the twisted leaf and you will see the insects. Besides the fact that pests suck out nutrients from the plant, they are carriers of viral diseases. You should immediately begin to fight against insects, using folk remedies or special preparations.
Aphid control methods
So, what are the ways to deal with hordes of aphids? Use herbal infusions, chemicals, food additives that should be sprayed on the affected tree. It is best to treat the apple tree with chemicals in the spring, when the buds have not yet blossomed.
This way you will reduce the chance of leaving chemical burns on the leaves, but cause significant damage to the aphid larvae.
200 g of the drug “Nitrofen” is diluted in 10 liters of water, which is used to treat the tree before the buds open. It is highly regarded for the destruction of aphid eggs. – You can treat the tree with a 4% solution of the Oleocuprit preparation, which also destroys insect eggs.
The drug “Iskra” helps to get rid of insect eggs, young larvae throughout the entire growing season of the apple tree. To prepare a solution in 10 liters of water, dissolve 1 tablet of the drug. Spraying can be done every 3 weeks. The fight against aphids requires re-treatment of trees, but at the same time so as not to burn the leaves. Therefore, it is recommended to use “safe” drugs: “Spark”, “Decis”, “Cypermethrin”. Also, subsequent treatments can be carried out with herbal infusions, since they cause the least harm to the tree, but are quite effective against insects.
Take 500 g of tobacco, 40 g of soap, 20 liters of water. Soak tobacco in 10 liters of water for 3 days, then strain the infusion, dilute with the remaining water, add soap. You can do the treatment with such a solution every one and a half weeks.
Another option: mix 3 cups of wood ash, 40 g of soap, 10 liters of water. After mixing all the ingredients, the solution is insisted for a day. Spray the underside of the leaves. Thus, it is possible not only to fight pests, but also to carry out foliar feeding of the tree. Ants, as a side symptom of aphids, also require destruction.
You can use the chemicals “Fitoverm”, “VDG”, “Fufaon”. Also, ants do not tolerate a variety of traps that do not harm the plant, humans and animals, but are extremely effective against lovers of free sugar.
The best means in the line of traps are recognized as “Raptor” and “Combat”. Ants do not like kerosene, so you need to take advantage of this. To prepare a solution in 10 liters of water, mix 400 g of soap, 2 tbsp. spoons of carbolic acid and 10 tbsp. spoons of kerosene. Leaves and trunks of apple trees should be treated with a solution.
Video “Aphids on an apple tree”
On the recording, an experienced gardener talks about how to recognize aphids on an apple tree and how to deal with it effectively.
