Hello. Please help.
I found this in one of my apple trees, it did appear suddenly, or at least I did not notice this earlier.
It is a fluffy cotton like thing that got what appears to be something like poppy seeds of a burgundy reddish color.
Thanks so much
cristina
I think it's a variety of scale insect and you'll need to spray to get rid of them.
frogymon thanks so much for answering,
I thought it is a type of aphis infestation or mealybugs (??)
depending of what it is , is the spraying that I will have to apply
If it is scale is another type of problem requiring specific spray I think
Those are wolly apple aphids aka mealybugs.
Yes you can spray a general broad spectrum insecticide to get them. They are very common in apples. If you are organic can try Neem oil or pyrethrins first. Sometimes blasting with high pressure water or a insedcticidal soap or horticultural oil will get them too.
drobarr, thanks so much. Yes, I thought that they are mealybug.
I did spray with wettable sulfur, taking care not to allow it to run off into the soil. That is what I have at hand, I had use it before for spider mites in roses and I had good results.
Wettable sulfur is an acceptable organic pesticide and fungicide, I use with care, it is a broad spectrum poison, sulphur does not kill beneficials insect like lady bugs, the soil fungi are at risk, when plants are sprayed allowing to runs off into the soil.
Nearly everything you would use to control pests is a broad spectrum poison, insecticidal soap will kill everything it touches even when it is for a very short term, neem oil sprays also has potential drawbacks.
Everything has risks...even spraying water can harm many beneficial insects. It is important to always weigh the risks of doing nothing with doing something and try to find the approach that makes the most sense which I think is what you have done!
I avoid sulfur because it can cause phytotoxicty to the foliage and fruit, particularly later in the season as well as risks to the applicator. If I do use sulfur I use it as a fungicide just prior to bud break to help control apple scab and other diseases in other crops.
Here it is very cold... -11 degrees C and in the middle of winter...In Chile it has to be beautiful right now.
Buena suerte Cristina!
Thanks so much for everything,
Yes we are having a hot Summer even here in Temuco we are reaching the mid 30c to 35C, ( 86F to 95F} , usually is up to 38C. and vry dry, and this is quite hot for us here. I do like it though. May be that was why I had the mealybug on my apples. The garden is shock full of vegies and fruit trees the same.
I feel so much for all of you, my dear friend. I will not be able to "enjoy" your winter. When I return to Chile from suburban Sydney I was cold all the times.
Cherio, Cristina.
