Root Aphids, up close and personal

BillsBayou

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I discovered root aphids on one of my trees. This means, of course, that I've got them on all my trees. I'm treating the problem with beneficial nematodes. Before they're gone, I shot the following video using a digital microscope.

Enjoy!

 

coh

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So how large are they - can you see them easily by eye? I've occasionally found "cottony masses" in root systems that didn't appear to be myco, but I never was able
to see individual insects moving around...so not sure if I've got them on some plants.

Be great if you can get a video of a nematode dining on an aphid.
 

Mellow Mullet

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I
I discovered root aphids on one of my trees. This means, of course, that I've got them on all my trees. I'm treating the problem with beneficial nematodes. Before they're gone, I shot the following video using a digital microscope.

Enjoy!


I have had them too on some of my bald cypress, I used a malathion drench to kill them. Nematodes might be the better option though if you have a lot of trees, especially if they are big trees. Let us know how it works.
 

BillsBayou

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So how large are they - can you see them easily by eye? I've occasionally found "cottony masses" in root systems that didn't appear to be myco, but I never was able
to see individual insects moving around...so not sure if I've got them on some plants.

Be great if you can get a video of a nematode dining on an aphid.
Near the end of the video you can see me pulling one of the beasties out. I'm using a pocket knife and a push-pin. The tip of the push-pin on the right should give you a sense of scale.
 
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BillsBayou

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I have had them too on some of my bald cypress, I used a malathion drench to kill them. Nematodes might be the better option though if you have a lot of trees, especially if they are big trees. Let us know how it works.
I thought of a good soak, but I'd rather not soak them all in poison. Too much work. I'll be sure to post a follow-up if this works or not.
 

markyscott

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Cool video, Bill.

So how large are they - can you see them easily by eye? I've occasionally found "cottony masses" in root systems that didn't appear to be myco, but I never was able to see individual insects moving around...so not sure if I've got them on some plants.

Here’s what the cottony stuff looks like full size.
4D779A3E-27C6-443E-A11F-7964066A4313.jpeg

It’s often mistaken for mycorrhizae, but whenever I’ve seen this on a bald cypress, it’s always been root aphids. Here’s what they look like by eye to give you a sense of scale.
 

BobbyLane

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wow that really does look like mycorrhizae. good to keep an eye out, dont think ive ever seen those types of aphids on any of my tree roots though, but good to know.
 

Tbwilson33

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Cool video, Bill.



Here’s what the cottony stuff looks like full size.
View attachment 233404

It’s often mistaken for mycorrhizae, but whenever I’ve seen this on a bald cypress, it’s always been root aphids. Here’s what they look like by eye to give you a sense of scale.

It could just be another form of fungus potentially not one that’s symbiotic with the tree. I thought I had mycrohhziea but it turned out to be shoe string root rot (I think). I’d keep and eye on it.
 

markyscott

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It could just be another form of fungus potentially not one that’s symbiotic with the tree. I thought I had mycrohhziea but it turned out to be shoe string root rot (I think). I’d keep and eye on it.

For the BC in the picture it is definitely root aphids.

S
 

BillsBayou

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Cool video, Bill.



Here’s what the cottony stuff looks like full size.
View attachment 233404

It’s often mistaken for mycorrhizae, but whenever I’ve seen this on a bald cypress, it’s always been root aphids. Here’s what they look like by eye to give you a sense of scale.
Thanks for this. Those are definitely the aphids I look to kill.
 

wireme

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I used nematodes for this problem few years ago and it seemed to work pretty good. I also used predatory mites in conjunction so I can’t say which did the trick but I felt like the mites may have had better mobility and they were cheaper too. It was a specific species of mite which I don’t recall the name of atm.

I actually bred the nematodes in Petri dishes and grubs for a couple generations so I applied them a few times that summer, wasn’t able to maintain them though so I’ll have to buy them again I guess. After a couple seasons of no treatment I’m guessing that I will find quite a few root aphids again this potting season. I just got my hands on an entomopathic fungi culture to try out this year too, that’ll be fun to try. I don’t even know if it works against root aphids actually, maybe I can research a bit first. But it would be very easy for me to grow it out and apply it anyways. 49FE4F65-7DA1-4E18-B0E5-E3A381FBBE40.jpeg
 

BillsBayou

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I used nematodes for this problem few years ago and it seemed to work pretty good. I also used predatory mites in conjunction so I can’t say which did the trick but I felt like the mites may have had better mobility and they were cheaper too. It was a specific species of mite which I don’t recall the name of atm.

I actually bred the nematodes in Petri dishes and grubs for a couple generations so I applied them a few times that summer, wasn’t able to maintain them though so I’ll have to buy them again I guess. After a couple seasons of no treatment I’m guessing that I will find quite a few root aphids again this potting season. I just got my hands on an entomopathic fungi culture to try out this year too, that’ll be fun to try. I don’t even know if it works against root aphids actually, maybe I can research a bit first. But it would be very easy for me to grow it out and apply it anyways. View attachment 233415
Oh... That's lovely! Beautiful coverage.
 

wireme

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Oh... That's lovely! Beautiful coverage.

Not the response I expected to a photo of.a moldy bug but yeah, I guess.

I have a small syringe of liquid culture Met in the fridge. I can expand it into agar and grain and then dust or water with the spores. I often have ants herding aphids or sometimes even nesting in grow boxes so I look forward to seeing if I can shoo them away with this stuff. I’ve heard a story that ants can be so afraid of Met spores that guards outside of the nest will intercept any ants carrying spores and drag them off to be decapitated away from the nest. The guards then behead themselves because they may have been infected also. It’ll be fun to experiment a bit.
 

wireme

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I just googled and looks like the Met just might help the root aphid situation too.

Good old THC farmers eh? A good weed grower can answer all our questions it seems sometimes. 78467CFA-84B6-42E9-A5EE-C479A4149A18.png
 
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