Woolly aphids

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Tuesday, 5 March 2019 at 3:00 pm

Recognise and remove woolly aphids from your garden.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Time to act

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on pinterest
Share on whatsapp
Share on blogger
Email to a friend

White, waxy, sap-feeding aphids colonise cracks, crevices and pruning cuts on the bark of apple trees in the second half of spring. They then spread to new growth and create soft swellings. If the bulges split open in frosty weather, infections, such as canker and other apple tree diseases can set in.

Symptoms

Congregations of fluffy, white, waxy aphids cause localised swellings on branches. If the swellings split open in winter, infections can set in.

Find it on

apples, crab apples, cotoneaster, hawthorn, pyracantha, sorbus

Organic

Blast off the fluffy, sticky aphid mass with a high-speed jet of water. This won't cure the problem long-term but deals with the aphids in the short-term.