Woolly aphid

What you see

Conspicuous tufts of white waxy wool on apple branches, in pruning wounds and bark cracks. Under the wool are purplish aphids.

Damage

Cottony white patches on bark and shoots. Knobbly galled swellings on branches over time. Sticky honeydew and sooty mould below.

Lifecycle on this coast

Overwinters as young aphids in bark crevices and on roots, spreading up the tree in spring.

When to act

Tolerate small patches on a mature tree. Act if galling and dieback appear, or on young trees.

Months: April, May, June, July, August, September

Plants it bothers

Apple, Quince, Pear

Natural enemies

Earwig, Parasitic wasp (Aphelinus), Ladybird, Blue tit

Remedies

Horticultural oil (white oil), Insecticidal soap spray, Encourage predators

The thing people get wrong

Earwigs are the main natural control of woolly aphid in an apple tree - which is a strong argument for putting up an upturned straw-filled flowerpot rather than treating earwigs as a pest. The waxy wool sheds water, so any spray needs soap in it or it simply beads off.