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Stark-Billings County |
Extension Spotlites
July 2, 2009
Sticky Sap Could be Aphids
Is your car, sidewalk or deck covered with a sticky sap? This honeydew solution is a byproduct of a heavy aphid infestation in trees. As the aphids feed they suck the sap out of the trees and secrete a honeydew solution. Ants are attracted to the honeydew and use it as a food source. If your trees are infected with aphids, you may see ants going up and down on the trunk collecting the sap produced by the aphids.
What type of plants are infected with aphids? They really aren't very particular about what type of plant they select to feed on. The honeysuckle bushes, snowball bushes and elm trees always seem to have their share of aphids.
Are the leaves on your Honeysuckle shrubs stunted and distorted? Again, the culprit is the aphid. When aphids feed the leaves will curl up around them making it difficult to treat with an insecticide. The recommendation is to spray your honeysuckle every 10-14 days with Orthene. This insecticide is a systemic which is absorbed by the plant and taken up by the aphid as it sucks sap out of the plant.
Aphids (plant lice) feed on many different plants. These tiny soft bodied insects are seldom over 1/8 of an inch in length and may be green, black, gray, red, white or purple in color. They may have wings or be wingless. Aphids generally feed in mass on any part of the plant, but prefer leaves on the tender young stems.
Should an insecticide be applied to control aphids? That's pretty much a personal choice. If the aphids cause the plant leaves to roll or if their honeydew drips onto the deck, sidewalk or car, spraying will be needed. Most of the common insecticides will control the aphids.
Timely and thorough control is important for aphid infestation. On trees which are too large to be easily sprayed, we must depend on natural controls such as the lady bugs. On smaller trees, aphids can be controlled with insecticide. Read the insecticide label to see if aphids are listed. Read and apply all pesticides according to label directions.
For more information contact:
Kurt Froelich,
Extension Agent
NDSU Extension Service
Stark-Billings County
1340 W. Villard St.
Dickinson ND 58601-4646
(701) 456-7665