Root aphids cause galls on the roots of crabapples; they do indeed nest
in cottony masses. The important thing to know is that the root aphid
on apple is called the "Woolly elm aphid". COnfusing? No; it feeds on
elms above-ground. And the only insecticides labelled for use against
them are for above-ground elm feeders. Last time I checked (and we've
covered this topic many times), there is no legal treatment for root
infestations. So either do something illegal, or bare-root the plant,
wash it throughly to remove all the aphids, and repot in fresh potting
media. If you have elms in your yard, you will have a continuuing
problem. And if you collect crabs from nature, you will often start
with infested material.

Kitsune Miko wrote:
How do mealy bugs fit into this picture of galls on
trunks??
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