How To Know If You Have Aphids

Aphid Infestations Are No Fun

We routinely get asked about Aphids from anxious customers during our work here at DR Trees Oregon City. The truth is that it’s not always easy to know whether you’re dealing with aphids or not. Aphids are very tiny creatures that you can’t generally see with the naked eye unless you’re standing very close by or there are many of them around. This truly is a shame because even though aphids are small, they multiply quickly and before you know it, you’re dealing with a whole plague of them. Luckily, there are a few signs you could look out for to find out whether you need to worry or not!

Change in the leaves

When you’re dealing with a whole plague of aphids, chances are high that you will be able to see certain changes in the leaves of your tree(s). More concretely, you’ll probably find that the leaves can get curled, or sometimes it can even be the case that the leaves will start to wither altogether. Besides that, another sign that you may be dealing with aphids is discoloration. Namely, the leaves can turn this yellowish color as a result of an aphid infestation. Therefore, if you notice that the leaves at hand stop growing, start to discolor, or start to fall off entirely, you should ask yourself the question of whether it’s possible that aphids are the cause!

It should be noted that there are different types of aphids and depending on what exact type you’re dealing with, you could notice other tell-tale signs as well. For example, there’s a certain kind of aphid that causes particular bushes to start showing reddish, blister-like spots on the leaves.

Honeydew

Furthermore, when you suspect that a tree is infested with aphids, you should also look out for honeydew. The fact is that aphids need a specific kind of juice to survive, which can be found inside of trees. However, aphids generally drink more of that juice than they can really handle and as a result, they need to find a way to get rid of the surplus. Thus, the aphids excrete this juice in the form of a transparent, sticky good, which is also called honeydew. Consequently, when there are aphids around, it’s probably that you’ll find honeydew sticking on the leaves of your tree!

You should keep in mind that aphids aren’t the only species that love honeydew. Namely, honeydew attracts a lot of ants as well. So, if you notice a lot of little ants on your leaves, this might be a sign that there’s a bigger problem such as aphids infestation that should be addressed. It’s also possible that some of this honeydew will fall on the ground so it’s always wise to look around the area of the tree at hand for signs of honeydew!

Black mold coating

Another consequence of aphid infestation is the possibility that black, sooty mold will appear on top of the leaves. Concretely, the presence of honeydew is a true catalysator for this condition. When left untreated, this kind of black mold can do serious damage to your trees, so it’s important to treat it right away after you’ve noticed it.

Eggs

Last, but not least, there’s the presence of eggs. As mentioned, aphids multiply remarkably quickly and that means that they lay a very large amount of eggs. While these eggs aren’t usually easy to notice, there’s another way that they can give you an indication that you’re dealing with aphids. The presence of eggs causes trees to sometimes grow certain thickenings and those are positively visible!

Conclusion

All in all, it’s clear that when you notice any of the above-mentioned sings when it comes to trees, it could be smart to look into ways to combat your aphids problem. When this is the case, you should jump into action immediately, seeing as that’s crucial if you want to keep the damage to your trees to a minimum.