Infestation

keith.w.burgess

Hi,
I have noticed that some of the leaves on my apple tree have curled up and upon further inspection they are infested with eggs or something (see attached photos).
Rightly or wrongly i have cut the affected leaves off and sprayed the rest of the tree with a proprietary bug killer.
Has anyone any idea what they might be and the correct course of action to take. Many thanks in anticipation.
Regards
Keith

Skandi

They are Aphids so if the bug killer was for them it should work

keith.w.burgess

Thanks Skandi for your prompt reply. 

Fairygirl

Aphids can simply be sprayed off with water, which is a better solution than a chemical one. You can also just wipe them away with your hand. 
If you can encourage birds into the garden, especially near your tree[s], they will eat them, and save you having to do anything. My blue tits eat all the greenfly as soon as they appear 

keith.w.burgess

Thanks Fairygirl . We did have blue tits in the garden last year but they have deserted us this year. I applaud your suggestion to clear them with water and if they return I shall certainly try it.
Regards Keith Burgess 

Topbird

I am honestly not getting on my high horse about this one to have a dig at Keith - but I really do think we should all be avoiding the use of pesticides whenever possible and only ever using them after proper research.

The real point of my posting is to urge anybody to identify the problem first and then to research the best course of action. Occasionally the best plan is to use a pesticide - but often not. All insects have a lifecycle and it is very important to spray at the correct time of year to most effectively break that cycle and / or prevent damage to plants.

The worst plan of action is to spray first and then do the research. This may result in beneficial insects being killed but the 'targeted' pest not really being affected.

Many insects cause little permanent damage to the host plant (eg aphids on an apple tree) - but they do provide a food source for birds & other creatures. If they are causing too much cosmetic damage they can often be treated as per Fairy's suggestion.

Lecture over🙂 Sorry if that all came over as sounding a little pompous - but it's a subject I feel quite strongly about and I am 'surrounded' by people who are of a generation when the answer to everything was to spray anything that moved.

herbaceous

I'm with you Topbird (also not aimed at Keith!) but it takes education to break the cycle since many people believe 'nature' is out to get them and their surroundings. They are encouraged to disinfect, clean, sanitise 'nature' out of the way by a plethora of sources.

My children and grandchildren have held a woodlouse, marvelled at a bee, watched ants farming aphids but many do not have that opportunity. I am hopeful this is changing, but a generation is technically 70 years!

Plashing

Three years ago I had infestation of green fly on my redcurrant and  blackcurrant bushes at the same time I had an big influx of ladybirds which in turn laid their eggs, the eggs hatched and the ladybird Larva completely cleared the currant bushes and then went on to the roses. I have noticed a lot of ladybirds this year and I am keeping my fingers crossed. The only thing I found hard to control are gooseberry sawfly any suggestion's other than using sprays please would be appreciated,thank you.

BobTheGardener

I now grow gooseberries from a single stem about a foot tall, after which they branch out as normal.  Since doing that I've not been bothered by sawfly, possibly because I can now cultivate the soil beneath them where the sawfly larvae overwinter.

keith.w.burgess

Thank you everyone for all the comments, much appreciated,
Regards
Keith