My first bonsai tree is struggling with pests. It starts off fine, but once a few leaves have developed, tiny white creatures appear on the newest leaves. They are very small, and look like specks of dust until I watch them closely and see them moving. Once they have appeared, this seems to stop further growth, the leaves and branches get no bigger, and eventually the leaves fall off. Once this has happened, new branches and leaves appear, grow nicely for a few weeks, and then the tiny pests come back again. Can anybody tell me what these are and how to get rid of them? My tree is a Chinese Elm. Thanks.

You probably have aphids. You can take them off with
alcohol or use something like Safer's Insecticidal
Soap. Sometimes ants use aphids like we use cows.
They "milk" the aphids. So you may also have an ant
problem that makes your aphids reappear.

Kitsune Miko


--- Juwesm wrote:
My first bonsai tree is struggling with pests. It
starts off fine, but
once a few leaves have developed, tiny white
creatures appear on the
newest leaves. They are very small, and look like
specks of dust until
I watch them closely and see them moving. Once they
have appeared, this
seems to stop further growth, the leaves and
branches get no bigger,
and eventually the leaves fall off. Once this has
happened, new
branches and leaves appear, grow nicely for a few
weeks, and then the
tiny pests come back again. Can anybody tell me what
these are and how
to get rid of them? My tree is a Chinese Elm.
Thanks.
--
Juwesm

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My first bonsai tree is struggling with pests. It starts off fine, but
once a few leaves have developed, tiny white creatures appear on the
newest leaves. They are very small, and look like specks of dust until
I watch them closely and see them moving.

If they are really that small, they are probably spider mites. If
you mist the foliage, do you see tiny webs? That's a giveaway for
mites.

If they are somewhat larger and elongate (1-2 mm long), they may be thrips.

I have good luck with Schultz's pyrethrin spray for mite control. It
is very difficult to control thrips, however. Is the tree indoors?
Neither mites nor thrips are a big problem on outdoor trees, and your
elm will be happier outdoors for the summer anyway (starting in deep
shade and gradually being moved to full sun).

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
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+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Are you growing this tree out doors or indoors? I suspect you are
growing it indoors and there is not enough movement of air around your
plant.... More information such as what zone you are in, the type of
soil you are using, your watering method, are there small stones on the
top of the soil? Anything else you can think of that might help the
experts give you a definitive answer.

Carl L. Rosner - near Atlantic City zone 6/7
http://bmee.net/rosner
http://www.jamesbaird.com/cgi-bin/Ja...d=00000068 48


Juwesm wrote:

My first bonsai tree is struggling with pests. It starts off fine, but
once a few leaves have developed, tiny white creatures appear on the
newest leaves. They are very small, and look like specks of dust until
I watch them closely and see them moving. Once they have appeared, this
seems to stop further growth, the leaves and branches get no bigger,
and eventually the leaves fall off. Once this has happened, new
branches and leaves appear, grow nicely for a few weeks, and then the
tiny pests come back again. Can anybody tell me what these are and how
to get rid of them? My tree is a Chinese Elm. Thanks.
--
Juwesm
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk




************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

My first bonsai tree is struggling with pests. It starts off fine, but
once a few leaves have developed, tiny white creatures appear on the
newest leaves. They are very small, and look like specks of dust until
I watch them closely and see them moving.

If they are really that small, they are probably spider mites. If
you mist the foliage, do you see tiny webs? That's a giveaway for
mites.

If they are somewhat larger and elongate (1-2 mm long), they may be thrips.

I have good luck with Schultz's pyrethrin spray for mite control. It
is very difficult to control thrips, however. Is the tree indoors?
Neither mites nor thrips are a big problem on outdoor trees, and your
elm will be happier outdoors for the summer anyway (starting in deep
shade and gradually being moved to full sun).

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Are you growing this tree out doors or indoors? I suspect you are
growing it indoors and there is not enough movement of air around your
plant.... More information such as what zone you are in, the type of
soil you are using, your watering method, are there small stones on the
top of the soil? Anything else you can think of that might help the
experts give you a definitive answer.

Carl L. Rosner - near Atlantic City zone 6/7
http://bmee.net/rosner
http://www.jamesbaird.com/cgi-bin/Ja...d=00000068 48


Juwesm wrote:

My first bonsai tree is struggling with pests. It starts off fine, but
once a few leaves have developed, tiny white creatures appear on the
newest leaves. They are very small, and look like specks of dust until
I watch them closely and see them moving. Once they have appeared, this
seems to stop further growth, the leaves and branches get no bigger,
and eventually the leaves fall off. Once this has happened, new
branches and leaves appear, grow nicely for a few weeks, and then the
tiny pests come back again. Can anybody tell me what these are and how
to get rid of them? My tree is a Chinese Elm. Thanks.
--
Juwesm
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk




************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

My tree is indeed indoors - unfortunately it can't be kept outdoors at the moment as I live in a flat (with a very narrow windowsill!). I try to have the windows by the tree open whenever I can, but you are probably correct about the lack of air movement. The tree is never in direct sunlight. It is quite warm indoors at the moment (South-East England). I started watering by submerging up to the base of the tree in water, as advised in the bonsai shop, but I now mist the tree instead - I can't see any webs when I do this. I'm afraid I don't know what kind of soil it is - there are lots of small pieces of gravel in the soil. The surface of the soil is convered in small spiky green moss. I feed the tree around once a week with a general fertiliser, again from the bonsai shop (N1.6, P4.3, K5.5, Ca2.3, Mg1.6). The pests really are very small - less than mm, and appear on both sides of the leaf, seeming to congregate around the edges. They seem much keener on younger leaves. Thanks for all your advice so far - any more would be much appreciated. I will try to move the tree to somewhere where it will get as much air as possible. I don't want my first tree to die!

It sounds to me like some kind of mite. Spider mites usually are
brown or reddish, but there likely are white ones because there
are a zillion species.

Few insecticides work real well on mites, but a heavy spray of
water into the foliage usually will keep them in control.
Indoors is tough, though.

You probably will need to water a bit more than "misting" will
supply, but watering from a sprinkler can from above is MUCH
better than submerging it -- though submerging is a good way to
deliver fertilizer. Just be sure the soil isn't soggy. Let it
get almost dry before you water again. Since it is hard to keep
moss alive indoors, I suspect your soil is too wet.

I can't recall . . . is this an elm or a juniper? Or something
else.

Good luck.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - The phrase
'sustainable growth' is an oxymoron. - Stephen Viederman

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++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
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My tree is indeed indoors - unfortunately it can't be kept outdoors at the
moment as I live in a flat (with a very narrow windowsill!).

Under the circumstances, I would suggest you bring the tree back where you
bought it & get something more suitable for your conditions, like a Ficus.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)