Fruit Tree Aphid Infestation

Earlier today, I noticed that several of my plum trees had a large number of their leaves curling. Since I’m not very familiar with plum trees, I didn’t understand that this was unusual. It was the first time I had closely examined them. As I took a closer look at the leaves, I found that many were infested with aphids, and I spotted an ant here and there.

I began my research and stumbled upon an excellent video showcasing effective strategies someone else used, so I’ve decided to give it a try. To tackle the aphid and ant issue, my initial step will be to blast the affected areas with high-pressure water. This should provide some relief while I wait for my tree grease to arrive in the mail. Once it’s here, I’ll apply it around the base of the trees. I’ll keep a close eye on the situation to see if there’s any improvement. In all likelihood, I’ll continue to use the hose periodically and will likely need to apply a soapy solution to fully eliminate the problem.

The first product I’m going to try is Catchmaster Tree Banding Insect Barrier.  I’ll post a follow up about a week after it’s been applied to let you know if it’s helped.

If you’ve faced a problem with ants and aphids invading your fruit trees, check out the video below where this guy shares his successful approach to dealing with it.

6/19 –  Finally had a chance to spray the trees with Neem oil.  There has seemed to be slightly less infestation, but need to take a closer look to know for sure.