Apple tree and aphids

[mrbadexample]

Hello all,

I'm after some advice for my friend, whose apple tree appears to be in a spot of bother:



He's tried using some of the Provado Ultimate Bug Killer, but it hasn't had much effect.

What's the best way to tackle these please?

Cheers,
MBE

[rustylady]

Looks like woolly aphids - Regular sprays won't get to them. Get hold of some methylated spirit and paint them with it. How to identify, prevent and treat Woolly Aphid

[northepaul]

Thats what I would do too

[FB.]

That's a fairly bad case of woolly aphids and, to be honest, looks like it has been left for so long that much damage has already been caused and it will be a regular chore to keep the numbers down. Some will be eaten by predators but they will not be eliminated.
Sprays don't work because the aphids have a thick woolly, water-proof coating.

I suggest use a high-pressure hose to forcefully blast off as many as you can, followed by scrubbing with a brush (don't scrub the bark off!) with meths or some other alcohol-like spirit. Sometimes light scrubbing with soapy water. Some people recommend tobacco tea.

Ultimately, if you are very prone to woolly aphids, you may have to resort to varieties with natural resistance. I have a few spots where, due to the micro-climate, woolly aphids just can't be kept away, which is why I have a few WAA-resistant varieties planted in that area.

[mrbadexample]

Thanks all - I'll pass the ideas on.

This problem has only started following a very heavy pruning last year.

[FB.]

I also forgot to say: the woolly aphids may have caused stems to become split or diseased and these stems would be best pruned-out.
Woolly aphids quite like young soft shoots, but will also grow in cracks in the bark or other pruning cuts which are difficult to get them out of. Woolly aphids often have a symbiotic relationship with apple canker infection, with the aphids and fungal canker assisting each others life cycle.
Woolly aphids are best dealt with as soon as seen because, like green aphids, they can multiply very quickly. Woolly aphid, if unchecked, can sometimes turn a large and beautiful tree into a split, lumpy, twisted and cankered mess in a matter of several weeks.
I've personally had a young Bramley and a Bountiful ruined by severe woolly aphid damage which was caused over only a few months.