My happy well established large Alpine fir popped buds a month ago. Did judicious trimming as needed. Was looking at the slow secondary elongating buds to shorten today. Beautiful new growth… but…
Some of the bud / needles appeared odd, flattened greyish bundles with only the needle backside showing, with odd glistening spots… rather than glorious emerald green…
Gently teasinng the neddles open revealed really teany grey/blue aphids… ON A FIR… More than a few bundles… I don’t usually call out for a NUCLEAR air strike, but,! Will follow up in a week with a slash n burn…
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Had already seen minor amounts of BLACK aphids on several newley leafed trees. Smushed each one… Black flies on the pines… Don’t know what to say about the halfmoon chunks taken out of my linden leaves…
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Dont turn your back for a second…!
I don’t know whether to say I’ve been lucky or unlucky with insects this year. In March I was gearing up for infestations of every kind with the unusually high temperatures. Most of April we had frosty nights and for most of this month we’ve had showers with at least one or two really heavy ones with the temperatures back to February highs. Maybe they are in hiding, just waiting to pounce the second the weather changes…
Found MORE black aphids on a Acer campestre maple last evening while I was terminal bud trimming. Smished em. Made em scream… Hosed the reast of the tree with bug stuff…
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Found a large grub IN my bag of organic fertilizer. Hopefully he learns to evolve… before he gets run over on the road… Mice got into it over the winter, wonder if it tastes good…
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Have seen a few very small spider webs, means the fertilizer flies are around…