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Bug infestation on fruit tree

LuchadorkLuchadork Posts: 7
in Problem solving
This is the first summer in our new garden and it's been a lot of uncovering and finding what we have in what was a fairly overgrown garden. I've just noticed one of the trees has a fairly nasty looking bug problem. The leaves are either very deformed or eaten away and they're covered in what I assume are aphids. I've tried my best to get a decent photo...

What's the best way for me to tackle this? There seems to be endless solutions through Google but thought I'd get the best answers here! The nearby fruit trees don't seem to be affected, perhaps this is their favourite!

Thanks in advance


Posts

  • blacksweetrollsblacksweetrolls Posts: 16
    My advice would be to start with a natural solution like spraying the tree with neem oil. This is an awesome way to get rid of bugs without using harsh chemicals. It's likely the other trees are not affected since they might not be as close together. Keep an eye on the tree and if the pests persist. You can also try to make a natural insecticidal soap. All you need is some Castile soap and some water. Simply mix about 1 tablespoon of Castile soap with 1 gallon of water. Spray the solution on the trees to help get rid of the aphids. You can also try spraying water on the fruit tree with a hose, as aphids are easily washed away.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Until you get a balance of predators to even everything out, you may get these larger than normal amounts, but a good hose down will move them on - until the next lot  ;)

    Encouraging birds helps enormously - blue tits in particular are great for that, as @pansyface says, but many birds are collecting them for their offspring as well as eating them themselves, so that's the best solution. It can take a while to get that nice balance though, and if timings are a bit of sync with weather etc, these slight imbalances can occur. 
    A healthy, strong plant will shrug them off though, and get very little damage over time.  :)
    The eaten bits of leaf edges aren't down to that though. That'll be caterpillars or similar. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LuchadorkLuchadork Posts: 7
    This has all been exactly what I wanted to hear, as long as the tree isn't at risk I'm happy to leave them be!

    We've noticed a huge amount of birds coming in to the garden recently, a shed load of bees and noticed a few butterflies. We've actually seen some caterpillars so your theories ring true.

    My daughter is only 2 so she's loving seeing all the bugs!

    Thanks again for all your help, this is the first proper garden we've had as most places we've lived have had small yards so I'm on a steep learning curve
  • parkgatemanparkgateman Posts: 50
    Your first picture is almost identical to my cherry tree today . Infested with aphids being milked / farmed by loads of ants .
  • parkgatemanparkgateman Posts: 50
    Next door has two nest boxes on his shed both with blue tits nesting , so they live next door , but come to my garden to feed   - brilliant .  
  • LuchadorkLuchadork Posts: 7
    pansyface said:
    Don’t worry, the learning curve flattens out a bit after about forty years. 😊
    Haha excellent! 😂 
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