Gardeners are noticing an abundance of aphids and arborists say they are out in full force this year thanks to the mild and dry winter.
Several neighbourhoods are seeing thousands of aphids in their trees and some say it is the worst they have ever seen.
“Over the past three or four years, I’ve taken it upon myself to basically buy some ladybugs, bagged ladybugs, because I understood that they thrive on aphids,” said Reg Northcott.
An aphid can lay up to 800 eggs and there are three generations in a season so some experts say something a little stronger might be needed.
“Usually we notice the infestation later in the season, like end of June or July, when we are at the second of the third generation of the season because we have three generations of aphid and during the season people will usually notice them when we start having a large quantity, at the second or third generation, but this year it’s early and we have more than usual,” said Paul Saindon, Arborist with Your Tree Doctor.
The team with Your Tree Doctor is using an insecticide injection to make the tree poisonous for any insects that feed off the tree and the mixture should help ward them off and protect the tree from damage.
“What the aphids do is they suck the sap out of the leaves and the stem so that when the leaves don’t have enough sap, those leaves shrivel and die so the leaves are not doing the job they are supposed to do,” said Saindon. “So basically we inject a systemic insecticide that will make the tree poison for the insect and that way only the insect who want to feed on the tree will die. “
Saindon says the treatment will not affect ladybugs and other insects.
For more information on aphid control, visit the Your Tree Doctor website HERE.
(With files from Kathy Le)
