Apple trees, aphids and bumble bees....

[fishpond]

we have been watching bumble bees visiting our cherry trees for the last 3 years, last year did send a note to bbc's autumm watch but had no reply.
It did seem to us they were definately after the blackfly honeydew, it does seem to to be only bumble bees haven't spotted any honeybees. so spraying in this garden.

Mods, I think the post from GNapier is spam.

[Philthy]

The aphid attack is very heavy this year. Most of my apple trees' new shoots are bristling with aphids - many thousands per tree. Some leaves are so badly twisted that the trees are yellowing them and preparing to drop the badly-damaged leaves.
Poor old Court Pendu Plat didn't even get the buds fully open before every bud was smothered with aphids. None of its new shoots will grow straight this year due to aphid distortion! If the CPP was on a dwarf rootstock it'd probably be ruined; fortunately it's M25

My Kidd's Orange Red tree has likewise been smothered with damned aphids this year, and one side far more than the other. So the shoots on the affected side are now stunted (and a few leaves have yellowed too), while on the other side shoots have continued growing apace, and the tree now looks a bit lopsided
I've resisted spraying for as long as I could but today the tree has been doused. As an ornamental tree as much as a produce one, I really don't want irregular growth at the time when the tree's core framework is developing. The wasps and ants that look to of been enjoying the green invasion also got wet, but too bad I'm afraid. And tellingly, getting up close to the canopy revealed just a single ladybird on the whole tree, so intervention was the only way to get on top of the problem. Irritating.

[fishpond]

Get rid of the Ants, otherwise the aphids will be back.
Ants farm the aphids and protect them.
Wasps are predators (good guys), until it gets colder anyway, then don't go near them.

[Philthy]

Wasps are predators (good guys), until it gets colder anyway, then don't go near them

What's the significance of a dip in temperature?

[fishpond]

Life Cycle of the Wasp
Philthy ---Please read above site, it is very interesting and answers your question.

[Gardengnomes60]

Bumble bees and aphids

-
Am I the only person who finds bumble bees visiting aphid colonies to feed on the aphids' sweet excretions?

If I'm not, then perhaps we need to be even more careful when spraying insecticides because spraying the aphids could end up with bumblebees (and perhaps other bees) being exposed to insecticides.
-

Hi, I have a small apple tree, one side is brimming with tiny apples the other side has leaf curl, I have noticed a few bumble bees delving into the curled leaves, when I unrolled one it was full of aphids, curious to know what the bee is doing , I won’t use any bug spray so will my tree be ok .?

[nickdub]

Hi, I have a small apple tree, one side is brimming with tiny apples the other side has leaf curl, I have noticed a few bumble bees delving into the curled leaves, when I unrolled one it was full of aphids, curious to know what the bee is doing , I won’t use any bug spray so will my tree be ok .?

bees suck up sweet liquids - in this case they have found that the aphids are producing liquid with sugar in it which originally comes from the sap in the leaves.

I usually just squash any aphids I come across between my finger and thumb - eventually the predators like ladybirds will catch up with the aphids, but it takes a little time.

[fishpond]

My Kidd's Orange Red tree has likewise been smothered with damned aphids this year, and one side far more than the other. So the shoots on the affected side are now stunted (and a few leaves have yellowed too), while on the other side shoots have continued growing apace, and the tree now looks a bit lopsided
I've resisted spraying for as long as I could but today the tree has been doused. As an ornamental tree as much as a produce one, I really don't want irregular growth at the time when the tree's core framework is developing. The wasps and ants that look to of been enjoying the green invasion also got wet, but too bad I'm afraid. And tellingly, getting up close to the canopy revealed just a single ladybird on the whole tree, so intervention was the only way to get on top of the problem. Irritating.

The wasps were feasting on Aphids, the ants were farming them.
Wasps only turn grumpy in late autumn when they are struggling to find sugar, other than that they are one of, if not, the top predator for all sorts of bugs.
Ants will kill Ladybirds and their larvae, wasps will kill ants.