My neighbor has 2 beautiful willow trees that provide shade in my
yard, and a source of visual enjoyment. Recently she has started
cutting one of them down and plans to level both of them due to an
enormous amount of tiny (2-5cm) red bugs, 6 legged, red bodied, with 2
little yellowish points on its back end. I mean tons of then, all
over every branch. These little guys seem harmless, although messy as
they spew a reddish color when flattened, and the tree is raining
sticky sap as well. They dont fly, or bite. But the amount is
overwhelming to her. I don't mind sweeping them off my deck, but I am
so sad that these trees will no longer be a part of our backyard. Is
there anything we can do? Can I tell her this will pass with the
season, will the bugs return? or leave? Is her cutting down the
trees the best solution?
Thanks for your time, and patience in my less than knowledgeable state
on these things.

Why is any of your business what your neighbor does to her trees as long
as she doesn't do any harm to you? Sheesh. What are you, a liberal?

Kandi wrote:
My neighbor has 2 beautiful willow trees that provide shade in my
yard, and a source of visual enjoyment. Recently she has started
cutting one of them down and plans to level both of them due to an
enormous amount of tiny (2-5cm) red bugs, 6 legged, red bodied, with 2
little yellowish points on its back end. I mean tons of then, all
over every branch. These little guys seem harmless, although messy as
they spew a reddish color when flattened, and the tree is raining
sticky sap as well. They dont fly, or bite. But the amount is
overwhelming to her. I don't mind sweeping them off my deck, but I am
so sad that these trees will no longer be a part of our backyard. Is
there anything we can do? Can I tell her this will pass with the
season, will the bugs return? or leave? Is her cutting down the
trees the best solution?
Thanks for your time, and patience in my less than knowledgeable state
on these things.

On Sat, 04 Sep 2004 10:46:27 -0700, Kandi wrote:

My neighbor has 2 beautiful willow trees that provide shade in my yard,
and a source of visual enjoyment. Recently she has started cutting one of
them down and plans to level both of them due to an enormous amount of
tiny (2-5cm) red bugs, 6 legged, red bodied, with 2 little yellowish
points on its back end. I mean tons of then, all over every branch.
These little guys seem harmless, although messy as they spew a reddish
color when flattened, and the tree is raining sticky sap as well. They
dont fly, or bite. But the amount is overwhelming to her. I don't mind
sweeping them off my deck, but I am so sad that these trees will no longer
be a part of our backyard. Is there anything we can do? Can I tell her
this will pass with the season, will the bugs return? or leave? Is her
cutting down the trees the best solution?
Thanks for your time, and patience in my less than knowledgeable state on
these things.

Good day Kandi, it would seem to me that your neighbors' tree is infected
with spidermites. This I cannot confirm with out seeing, but this seems to
be your best bet. Google spidermites or look at this and see what you
think:
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/entomolog...1/444-221.html

Spidermites are something that can be delt with but may cost some money.
The trees are your neighbors' and they may not like the trees for other
reasons not known to you. You may offer to maintain the trees instead of
them cutting them down, but I wouldn't get your hopes too high. You may
want to look in to your options that you can do for yourself on your side
of the fence.

Ok,
I am not too sure why that was the response I got to my question.
Perhaps I should have mentioned that my neighbor would like to see
these trees remain in the yard as much as I would. I was only looking
for an alternative for her rather than her cutting them down.
I think your smart ass comment to my question was pointless. Had I
known this board was occasionally used to insult it's visitors I
suppose I should have just helped my dear neighbour stack the wood
from the tree, and shrugged my shoulders at the loss.
If anyone has some helpful advise please let me know,
Thank-you


maldonado wrote in message ...
Why is any of your business what your neighbor does to her trees as long
as she doesn't do any harm to you? Sheesh. What are you, a liberal?

Kandi wrote:
My neighbor has 2 beautiful willow trees that provide shade in my
yard, and a source of visual enjoyment. Recently she has started
cutting one of them down and plans to level both of them due to an
enormous amount of tiny (2-5cm) red bugs, 6 legged, red bodied, with 2
little yellowish points on its back end. I mean tons of then, all
over every branch. These little guys seem harmless, although messy as
they spew a reddish color when flattened, and the tree is raining
sticky sap as well. They dont fly, or bite. But the amount is
overwhelming to her. I don't mind sweeping them off my deck, but I am
so sad that these trees will no longer be a part of our backyard. Is
there anything we can do? Can I tell her this will pass with the
season, will the bugs return? or leave? Is her cutting down the
trees the best solution?
Thanks for your time, and patience in my less than knowledgeable state
on these things.

it is probably due to some kind of sucking insect. we saved a newly planted river
birch from an infestation by using systemic insecticide, spreading it out over the
root zone and watering it in so the tree takes up the systemic into all the leaves.
It does take a while, but it knocks the suckers down over several weeks. we had to
buy a couple cans of it for an 8-10 foot tree, but now that river birch is really big
and thriving 10 years later. only had to use the stuff once. Ingrid


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(Kandi) wrote in message . com...
My neighbor has 2 beautiful willow trees that provide shade in my
yard, and a source of visual enjoyment. Recently she has started
cutting one of them down and plans to level both of them due to an
enormous amount of tiny (2-5cm) red bugs, 6 legged, red bodied, with 2
little yellowish points on its back end. I mean tons of then, all
over every branch. These little guys seem harmless, although messy as
they spew a reddish color when flattened, and the tree is raining
sticky sap as well. They dont fly, or bite. But the amount is
overwhelming to her. I don't mind sweeping them off my deck, but I am

you know, every spring I scrape the windows of my garage with the
edge of a square plastic pot, and collect tens of thousands of
ladybugs who overwinter in there and are ready to go. I then take the
pot outside and release them so they can do their thing. And of course
one of the things they do is control the bugs you have (you probably
meant them to be 2 mm long, because 2cm is close to an inch). I see no
soft-bodied insects anywhere, except in late october when the ladybugs
have already turned in for the season, and the aphids finally have a
way to attack my cabbages. Too late for this year, but you may
consider having one last try next spring, if food is abundant ladybugs
will stay and reproduce a few times in a single season. They should
substantially reduce the number of the red bugs.

"Kandi" wrote in message
om...
My neighbor has 2 beautiful willow trees that provide shade in my
yard, and a source of visual enjoyment. Recently she has started
cutting one of them down and plans to level both of them due to an
enormous amount of tiny (2-5cm) red bugs, 6 legged, red bodied, with 2
little yellowish points on its back end. I mean tons of then, all
over every branch. These little guys seem harmless, although messy as
they spew a reddish color when flattened, and the tree is raining
sticky sap as well. They dont fly, or bite. But the amount is
overwhelming to her. I don't mind sweeping them off my deck, but I am
so sad that these trees will no longer be a part of our backyard. Is
there anything we can do? Can I tell her this will pass with the
season, will the bugs return? or leave? Is her cutting down the
trees the best solution?
Thanks for your time, and patience in my less than knowledgeable state
on these things.

Call a tree specialist and/or submit some of the insects to your extension
agency (there is one in every county if you are in the US.) Until the
problem is diagnosed, you can't consider a cure. I have to admit that if I
had several trees raining down 5cm ( 2 inch) bugs, I would be looking for a
solution but I find it curious that someone would cut a tree down as the
FIRST response to an infestation of unidentified insects. There is always a
chance that the insects are just resting in the tree on there way to
somewhere. The other possibility is that the tree is infested with aphids,
and the insects that are bothering you are simply there to control the
primary infestation - but then I can't think of a 5 cm insect that would
fall into that category.