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On 22 July 2018 at 17:00, Dorcas Cosgrove <tabithadb@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
hi everyone
I know it has been a long time but between builders for new extension and serious house repairs my poor wee garden is a complete mess.And to add insult to injury my apple tree has this fluffy stuff on its branches .Can anyone tell me what it might be and how to remove it please.
Dorcas



20180722_162030

Answers

 

Looks like the work of aphids. They secrete a sticky substance called honeydew (it's their poo). The 'honeydew' goes moldy after a while.

23 Jul, 2018

 

It looks like woolly aphids, which also secrete honeydew, like Bathgate says, but secrete a waxy fuzz, in addition. The fuzz helps protect them from aphid predators, but also may repel the more common insecticides. Spraying with soapy water usually helps with them, as long as the infestation isn't too advanced. When the population gets high, however, they will also colonize the roots, which makes control much more difficult.

23 Jul, 2018

 

Looks like woolly aphid to me too... if your apple tree isn't that large, and the infestation isn't too widespread, you can scrub them off with a brush, although I used a jeycloth lightly moistened with methylated spirits last time. Just don't get the meths on the foliage... wipe over with a damp cloth afterwards. Other advice below

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=724

23 Jul, 2018

 

YOU NEED TO REMOVE YOUR EMAIL FROM YOUR POST WITH THIS BEING A PUBLIC FORUM

24 Jul, 2018

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