The infinite aphid incursion.

Yellow aphids being tended by an ant.

I have always found aphids to be interesting.  That is until I found them attacking my trees and bushes at home.  I suppose it is somewhat akin to enjoying baseball up to the point that you kept your eye on the ball a little too well. 

In their own right, aphids are somewhat magical creatures.  They reproduce both sexually and non-sexually.  A process known as parthenogenesis involves aphids making clones of themselves.  They grow rapidly and a single aphid can foster many generations; their numbers exploding exponentially with each successive brood.  In a matter of weeks a healthy plant can become infested, putting nearby vegetation at risk.

There is another issue that comes to bear dealing with ants.  Ants and aphids have a remarkable mutualistic relationship.  As an aphid sucks plant juices it produces a tiny drop of sweet nectar called honeydew.  When an ant strokes the back of an aphid with its antennae the aphid releases this and the ant collects it.  Ants become the aphids' protectors, driving away any would-be predators.

Millions of aphids can produce an astonishing amount of this sugary treat.  If you happen to park your car under a tree so burdened it may end up with a sticky topcoat.  Plants so infected are weaker, produce less fruit, and are more vulnerable to disease.  My cherry trees have got hundreds of leaves that have unexpectedly turned brown.  Then there are the numerous ant hills that have suddenly popped up on my lawn.  The combination of brown leaves and mounds of sand and dirt on the verge is a good indication that there is an aphid problem.

I pressure washed my trees the other day.  Sounds silly, I know, but it is one of the recommended treatments for aphids.  Their soft little bodies and poor grasping mechanisms are no match for a 2000 psi blast of water.  What's more, a lot of the dead leaves on the trees came off while little green ones did.  The treatment also improved the trees' appearance.  Further research tells me that simple home concoctions using soap, baking soda, or certain oils will help with the job.

A second level of control involves dealing with the ants themselves.  The easiest way is just to prevent the ants from climbing the trees in the first place.  Vaseline can be smeared on the trunk (just a 1 inch wide circumference is needed) and cinnamon can be sprinkled on the base of the tree.  One catches the ants and the other repels them.

The combination of pressure washing, spraying a soap and baking soda mixture solution, and applying liberal amounts of vaseline and cinnamon should do the trick. 

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen