Hi

My small conifer (3-4 feet high) has suddenly become absolutely thickly
infested with grey aphids. This seems to have happened almost
overnight!

They are so bad I think they might kill the tree if I don't do something
- what would be recommended for this? There are ladybirds on there too
and I know they are good for biological control but I really don't think
they are going to make a dent in this particular problem - I don't want
to harm them with any sprays though, are there any which won't harm
beneficial creatures?

Thanks

Lynda

The message
from Lynda Thornton contains these words:

Hi

My small conifer (3-4 feet high) has suddenly become absolutely thickly
infested with grey aphids. This seems to have happened almost
overnight!

They are so bad I think they might kill the tree if I don't do something
- what would be recommended for this?

Hang a peanut feeder on it. Birds will come for the nuts and find and
clear the aphids as swiftly as they appeared. I've done this and it
works even on large conifers.

Janet.

In article , Janet Baraclough
writes
The message
from Lynda Thornton contains these words:

Hi

My small conifer (3-4 feet high) has suddenly become absolutely thickly
infested with grey aphids. This seems to have happened almost
overnight!

They are so bad I think they might kill the tree if I don't do something
- what would be recommended for this?

Hang a peanut feeder on it. Birds will come for the nuts and find and
clear the aphids as swiftly as they appeared. I've done this and it
works even on large conifers.

Janet.


Hi

Unfortunately it's in the small front garden which is very open and
which already has a rowan tree in it which never has any birds in it. I
don't think that will work, I need a chemical solution!

Lynda

Bottle the little blighters and send them to me ......I have 56 pesky
conifers the other side of our boundary they can invade and kill anytime

"Lynda Thornton" wrote in message
...
In article , Janet Baraclough
writes
The message
from Lynda Thornton contains these words:

Hi

My small conifer (3-4 feet high) has suddenly become absolutely thickly
infested with grey aphids. This seems to have happened almost
overnight!

They are so bad I think they might kill the tree if I don't do
something
- what would be recommended for this?

Hang a peanut feeder on it. Birds will come for the nuts and find and
clear the aphids as swiftly as they appeared. I've done this and it
works even on large conifers.

Janet.


Hi

Unfortunately it's in the small front garden which is very open and
which already has a rowan tree in it which never has any birds in it. I
don't think that will work, I need a chemical solution!

Lynda

Ha ha - I would gladly do so if it were possible! It's always the way,
one nice little tree on its own doing no harm gets devastated ... anyway
I will be removing the ladybirds by hand and then zapping the aphids
once the rain has stopped.

Lynda

In article , bnd777
writes
Bottle the little blighters and send them to me ......I have 56 pesky
conifers the other side of our boundary they can invade and kill anytime

"Lynda Thornton" wrote in message
...
In article , Janet Baraclough
writes
The message
from Lynda Thornton contains these words:

Hi

My small conifer (3-4 feet high) has suddenly become absolutely thickly
infested with grey aphids. This seems to have happened almost
overnight!

They are so bad I think they might kill the tree if I don't do
something
- what would be recommended for this?

Hang a peanut feeder on it. Birds will come for the nuts and find and
clear the aphids as swiftly as they appeared. I've done this and it
works even on large conifers.

Janet.


Hi

Unfortunately it's in the small front garden which is very open and
which already has a rowan tree in it which never has any birds in it. I
don't think that will work, I need a chemical solution!

Lynda




--
Lynda Thornton

Lynda Thornton wrote in
:

Ha ha - I would gladly do so if it were possible! It's always the
way, one nice little tree on its own doing no harm gets devastated ...
anyway I will be removing the ladybirds by hand and then zapping the
aphids once the rain has stopped.

Sombody suggested planting some lavender near roses to help keep the
aphid/greenfly down...

Woudl this work here?

In article , Rick McGreal
writes
Lynda Thornton wrote in
:

Ha ha - I would gladly do so if it were possible! It's always the
way, one nice little tree on its own doing no harm gets devastated ...
anyway I will be removing the ladybirds by hand and then zapping the
aphids once the rain has stopped.

Sombody suggested planting some lavender near roses to help keep the
aphid/greenfly down...

Woudl this work here?

Well there is a huge lavender hedge just 6 feet away so that obviously
hasn't done a thing! It's also too early in the year for the lavender
to be doing much yet anyway and the aphids are in their millions already
by the look of it - every branch is dark grey almost all the way along
from the combination of grey aphids and sooty mould on the honeydew,
it's absolutely disgusting to look at and something drastic needs to be
done fast or I can see the tree just dying from such a huge attack.

Lynda

Lynda Thornton wrote in
:

Sombody suggested planting some lavender near roses to help keep the
aphid/greenfly down...
Woudl this work here?

Well there is a huge lavender hedge just 6 feet away so that obviously
hasn't done a thing!

Oh....B-)
I planted a lavender plant just in fron of my roses....And they are still
clear....

It's also too early in the year for the lavender to be doing much yet
anyway and the aphids are in their millions already by the look of it -

I think its the smell they don't like.....
So the plant would need to be quite nearby....

every branch is dark grey almost all the way along from the combination
of grey aphids and sooty mould on the honeydew, it's absolutely
disgusting to look at and something drastic needs to be done fast or I
can see the tree just dying from such a huge attack.

Shame...B-(

My grans 'Bible' that she lent me suggests spraying with Malathion or
nicotine....Does anyone smoke?
Other than that using a systemic insecticide

You could try a heavy drenching with soapy water


"Rick McGreal" wrote in message
...
Lynda Thornton wrote in
:

Sombody suggested planting some lavender near roses to help keep the
aphid/greenfly down...
Woudl this work here?

Well there is a huge lavender hedge just 6 feet away so that obviously
hasn't done a thing!

Oh....B-)
I planted a lavender plant just in fron of my roses....And they are still
clear....

It's also too early in the year for the lavender to be doing much yet
anyway and the aphids are in their millions already by the look of it -

I think its the smell they don't like.....
So the plant would need to be quite nearby....

every branch is dark grey almost all the way along from the combination
of grey aphids and sooty mould on the honeydew, it's absolutely
disgusting to look at and something drastic needs to be done fast or I
can see the tree just dying from such a huge attack.

Shame...B-(

My grans 'Bible' that she lent me suggests spraying with Malathion or
nicotine....Does anyone smoke?
Other than that using a systemic insecticide

I've tried that in the past but always found that lots of aphids either
survive or climb back on afterwards - is there a recommended product for
this?

Lynda

In article , bnd777
writes
You could try a heavy drenching with soapy water


"Rick McGreal" wrote in message
...
Lynda Thornton wrote in
:

Sombody suggested planting some lavender near roses to help keep the
aphid/greenfly down...
Woudl this work here?

Well there is a huge lavender hedge just 6 feet away so that obviously
hasn't done a thing!

Oh....B-)
I planted a lavender plant just in fron of my roses....And they are still
clear....

It's also too early in the year for the lavender to be doing much yet
anyway and the aphids are in their millions already by the look of it -

I think its the smell they don't like.....
So the plant would need to be quite nearby....

every branch is dark grey almost all the way along from the combination
of grey aphids and sooty mould on the honeydew, it's absolutely
disgusting to look at and something drastic needs to be done fast or I
can see the tree just dying from such a huge attack.

Shame...B-(

My grans 'Bible' that she lent me suggests spraying with Malathion or
nicotine....Does anyone smoke?
Other than that using a systemic insecticide



--
Lynda Thornton