How do you differentiate wooly adelgids vs aphids. Additionally, is there any more a robust solution than mentioned in the one video? Should I quarantine the tree?
Wooly adelgids are tiny & fuzzy…white or grey. ~1/32 to 1/16” All you may see is the fuzz in a crotch. I think… adults lose the fuzz…? ‘wasn’t fuzzy wuzz he’. They move passively, spreading over long distances primarily through wind, birds, wildlife, and human activity (such as moving infested nursery stock or hiking).
Aphids are bare. Green, yellow, to white, black to grey, some are red. Some have wings. ~1/16 to 1/4” They will be moving around. I have seen black Aphid-like bugs the size of my little fingernail on a alpine fir… nuked em… tree was fine.
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If it was a bad infestation on my tree… light spray with dilute imidacloprid, several times over a week. Cover the soil with plastic to keep the good bugs alive there…… a week, they should be dead and dry up. Hard to see if they are dead. Tweezers or toothpicks.
Hard spray with water, or, Insecticidal soap spray; if you are so inclined. Will take longer to see deaths.
Inspection your close evergreen trees for tiny white fuzz in the crotches…. Evergreens, especially juniper are suseptible to adelgids.
Personally, Ladybugs, preying mantis, and spiders guard my trees….
(Thanx google!)
Hope this helps.
Enjoy!
K
Thank you for the response! I’ve been trying to decide if what I’m seeing is Adelgids or just dried white sap.
As for the critters, they are small, black and running around so definitely aphids. I thought that ants were a sign of adelgids- maybe i have both!