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Aphids
Keith Butler2
Posts: 53
in Fruit & veg
Hi,
I had a big aphid problem last year, I have moved house and took my Pear tree (Beth) to my new garden, I thought I had left the aphids but now find I have brought them with me on the Pear, I have sprayed with chemicals but are finding I am breathing the stuff in.
Q: Is the Beth Pear prone to aphid attack?
Q: How can I spray at a height without killing myself?
0
Posts
Hi can't answer first point but don't spray, buy ladybird larvae (green gardener online) and release directly onto the tree, they'll scoff yr aphids quick smart
Hang bird feeders in your tree to attract blue tits - they'll eat the aphids for you.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hi,
The young pear leaves also curl over tight so they are long and thin, when you open them up the aphids are inside, this makes spraying difficult.
Q: Is this normal?
Q: Why do they do this?
Are there ants? They farm aphids, and I suspect they protect them. Pyrethrin is a low toxicity insecticide, however it kills beneficial insects, so it is a last resort. Spray water with a bit of squeazy in, it will kill the aphids on contact, but does not kill benefical insects later on.
There is no sign of ants, may be with the young leaves being so tender they turn in because of the aphids feeding,
Q: How much squeazy (that's what my wife calls it, I call it fairy liquid) should I put in the small sprayer.