Control woolly aphid on apples
ARE you spotting white fluffy patches on your apple trees that look like cotton wool? What you’re actually gazing at are colonies of woolly aphid, and they become more conspicuous in summer due to their rapid rate of reproduction in warmer spells, coupled with their rather unusual trait of covering themselves with a white, waxy secretion.
Luckily, this pest only attacks apples in the edible garden (if you spot it on other fruit crops, it’s likely to be a scale insect infestation). It’s a nuisance, as heavy colonies cause gnarly swellings which can lead to weak points – these can snap off in windy weather, or encourage canker infection. Prune out infected parts if you can; young aphids will be locating and initiating new feeding ‘gnarls’ now. If colonies are on major limbs, disrupt them with a wire brush, then spray at repeated intervals with organic plant oil or fatty acid sprays.