Aphids?

Danny350

Seedling
Messages
17
Reaction score
3
Location
U.K 🇬🇧
About 2 hours ago I noticed a really sticky substance on some of the leaves and little bits of white on different parts of the tree. Is this Aphids? I’ve just spent a long while hiding the tree down rubbing each leaf between my fingers. I’ve head vinegar could be good to get rid of them (If it is them) I should have taken a photo first but was very eager to tend to the tree. It’s keep the Carmona indoors, so just wondering how I could have got them? No other plants nearby. I do sometime open the window it sits in to give it direct sunlight. Thanks again for any advice 👍

Carmona
Based in UK
 

leatherback

The Treedeemer
Messages
13,933
Reaction score
26,849
Location
Northern Germany
USDA Zone
7
Yes, they are aphids.

I hear vinegar is good to kill weeds. I would never spray my tree with it tbh

I spray simple aphids with a shot of rubbing alcohol, a tablespoon of dishwashing soap in a spraycannister of water. Normally gets rid of them if I do this 2, 3 times over a 10 day period. A nice cool shower will was away the sticky stuff.

Yours house is not a closed environment. Aphids can have flown in on a sunny day.
 

DonovanC

Chumono
Messages
524
Reaction score
613
Location
Ohio, U.S.
USDA Zone
6a
I second the dish soap method - it’s always worked well for me. I discovered a bit of a whitefly explosion on my benjaminas yesterday, so I gave them a good soaking with soap and water. I mix a couple table spoons into a 40oz(?) spray bottle. I let it sit for a while (some suggest an hour, but I don’t let it sit that long) then rinse them off with fresh water.
 

Bnana

Chumono
Messages
641
Reaction score
672
Location
The Netherlands
USDA Zone
8
I'm not sure this is aphids, you should easily see them and be sure. But it is likely it is.
In stead of dish soap it is much better to use insecticidal soap (very old fashioned soap made with KOH instead of NaOH).

Some species are sensitive to soaps (including Japanse maple).
 

Danny350

Seedling
Messages
17
Reaction score
3
Location
U.K 🇬🇧
Yes, they are aphids.

I hear vinegar is good to kill weeds. I would never spray my tree with it tbh

I spray simple aphids with a shot of rubbing alcohol, a tablespoon of dishwashing soap in a spraycannister of water. Normally gets rid of them if I do this 2, 3 times over a 10 day period. A nice cool shower will was away the sticky stuff.

Yours house is not a closed environment. Aphids can have flown in on a sunny day.
Thank you for the great advice, I will try this method. So is that a shot of rubbing alcohol, a table spoon of dishwashing soap added to about a litre (40oz) of water?
 

Danny350

Seedling
Messages
17
Reaction score
3
Location
U.K 🇬🇧
I second the dish soap method - it’s always worked well for me. I discovered a bit of a whitefly explosion on my benjaminas yesterday, so I gave them a good soaking with soap and water. I mix a couple table spoons into a 40oz(?) spray bottle. I let it sit for a while (some suggest an hour, but I don’t let it sit that long) then rinse them off with fresh water.
Thank you.
 

Danny350

Seedling
Messages
17
Reaction score
3
Location
U.K 🇬🇧
I'm not sure this is aphids, you should easily see them and be sure. But it is likely it is.
In stead of dish soap it is much better to use insecticidal soap (very old fashioned soap made with KOH instead of NaOH).

Some species are sensitive to soaps (including Japanse maple).
Thanks for the response, I will bear that in mind.
 

leatherback

The Treedeemer
Messages
13,933
Reaction score
26,849
Location
Northern Germany
USDA Zone
7
Thank you for the great advice, I will try this method. So is that a shot of rubbing alcohol, a table spoon of dishwashing soap added to about a litre (40oz) of water?
yes, give or take. I literally just do a tip-squeeze and fill :)
 

Bnana

Chumono
Messages
641
Reaction score
672
Location
The Netherlands
USDA Zone
8
Most plants can handle it well. Plants with very thin leaves are sensitive (Maiden hair fern) and can dry out. Japanese maples are often mentioned as sensitive but healthy plants that have enough water and are not in the sun on a hot day should be fine.
I also never noticed problems myself.

The idea is that the aphids lose their wax layer and dry out. You wash them so not much soap needed.
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2
I literally just do a tip-squeeze and fill

That's what she said!

We seem confused.

It's probably scale but we are talking waxy coatings on aphids?

Aphids are stupid defenseless pieces of shit that can be blown off with a jet of water.

Scale needs mechanical removal and centipedes in the soil to eat walkers and eggs.

Alcohol is for drinking.
Soap is for washing the tip.

Sorce
 

Bnana

Chumono
Messages
641
Reaction score
672
Location
The Netherlands
USDA Zone
8
Little bits of white are very suggestive of aphids, these are the old skins that remain after molting. But the aphids themselves should be easy to see on the underside of leaves.
 

Forsoothe!

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,878
Reaction score
9,248
Location
Michigan
USDA Zone
6b
Isopropyl alcohol 70% sprayed on the foliage straight from the bottle kills soft bugs.
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2
Forgive me, but I believe anyone who has seen a cicada knows what a Molt looks like.

Sounds more like these little bits of white.

Capture+_2020-09-15-10-14-15.png

Still don't know what they are, but it's not aphids!

Sorce
 

Danny350

Seedling
Messages
17
Reaction score
3
Location
U.K 🇬🇧
Little bits of white are very suggestive of aphids, these are the old skins that remain after molting. But the aphids themselves should be easy to see on the underside of leaves.
That’s very good to know. I shall keep an eye out for more of those. I will also have a good look under the leaves.
 

Forsoothe!

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,878
Reaction score
9,248
Location
Michigan
USDA Zone
6b
Cooties are hard to see, but they may leave white droppings...
 
Top Bottom