Small black bugs gathering on red robin new foliage

jamesharcourt

Hi all .... there are some small black things gathering on the new Photinia red Robin foliage… Anybody know what these things are or how I might treat them?  Pics below 

jamesharcourt

Mary370

Looks like ants eating blackfly

Borderline

They look like aphids to me. Set your hose on jet spray and blast them off. If only on a few gathered leaves, you can just wipe them off using a damp sponge. Make sure your shrub is growing in optimum conditions. Pruned if over crowded. Remove weak branches and grown with some wall/barrier protection.

jamesharcourt

Thanks guys, it's too late really for me to move the shrub - I think it is a bit crowded but I wanted to screen with it so was leaving everything to grow there.  It gets afternoon shade and the base of the plants there don't really get full sun for too long - but another photinia is growing quite vigorously there.

I've tried some bug clear spray on either side of affected leaves and will see how that goes ...