Hello all! Still pretty new around these parts so I’m not sure I’m in the right place for this?
On to the science question, well more entomology based but… here’s the question…
What the heck is this?
It’s a Salix discolor I bought about a month ago. The tree was treated with neem oil due to a aphid like fly infestation I inherited from a lowes Ficus microcarpa.
Could it be an offspring of that aphid fly issue?
These last two photos are just a fun share of that same tree. I currently had no growth from buds and did a partial prune to try and rebalance and it worked! The tree as been blasting off!
Looks like Sciara larvae (fungus gnat). Mostly harmless as they feed on decaying organic matter but can also damage life tissu (young roots). The bigger problem is they are a sign your soil stays to wet, although for a salix that might be ok.
Update! After three weeks of neem using I seem to have eliminated all of the fliers! I have seen the slug trails once again since posting. However I think the neem was semi successful! I singed some leaves hence the semi success!
