Woolly Aphid

Description:

Woolly Aphids get their name from the waxy excretion they carry as a form of protection from predators. At first inspection this may make them appear to be a fungus. As with all aphids they are sucking the sugary sap, but their action causes a callous-like lump or gall to grow, which provides better access to their reward. These stay after an infestation has gone and affected branches do not usually regain their vigor so if possible they should be pruned out. If a plant is badly infested it may never recover properly and it can be best to replace it. The adults are about 2mm long and a pinkish-brown color, although they appear to be white with their waxy protection. They overwinter as young in crevices and cracks in the bark, emerging in the spring forming rapidly growing colonies on new shoots and at pruning cuts where the sap is more readily available. This causes weak growth of the plant and the leaves may fall due to the lack of sap to keep them functioning. Each adult can produce up to five live young per day and after a few generations winged adults develop to spread to new branches and nearby trees.

Habitat:

They usually appear in the spring on some fruit trees and shrubs such as apple, pear, prunus, pyracantha, cotoneaster, elm, hawthorn and mountain ash.

Notes:

They are so cool, but very destructive to fruit trees.