Hello 2025, Hello Aphids!

[We're all Mad Here...🎩]

Hope everybody had a safe winter of plant and tree survival. As my 3rd year in the hobby I've mostly agreed to spend the next 6 years of my military career acquiring higher quality trees I can learn to grow and care for, with the hope of those trees being ready for some training when I get some time to sit at the hobby bench in peace with some tea. For now, those trees are still subject to the world of pests, which is part of restricting elements of nature to pots in a relatively crowded environment.

After a nice late April freeze in Maryland, a red maple I've been a generally terrible human to in terms of it still being in the same nursery pot (inside of a large glazed pot) for a few years now has generated a large root going into the garden bed in which it exists. Last year and the year before I had aphids, but it wasn't until today I learned that they and ants are Nazi allies. No matter where I've been stationed, ants are with us and I'm starting to think they are probably hitching rides in my plants and exploring their new destination every spring if that's the case. I realize the potential for larger scale issues woth this idea and I will be sure to treat my plants before the next move.

To my question, in the past couple years I've used dishdoap and water pressure to bid them farewell to hell, with one small green maple really hating its life that year, but still happily resides in my garden as a shaped, non-bonsai. The affected tree this year is unmovable due to the big tap root (?), so I'm maybe just seeking affirmation or guidance. I'm willing to let them all hopefully be murdered by true predators, but I'm not sure how long this lasts and what the threat there is. Also, when I move, and if I decide to take this maple, can the taproot be cut without killing the tree? If so, I'd like to do that now if I can. I'm generally anti pesticide unless it's critical, so had anybody just let them run course? The shitt% thing is that tree is right by my bay window, which is one of the many areas in my house that is home to some very mature philodendron, alocasia, ficus and monstera, so I really don't want to spray them off right in that area. I think I see quite a few big flies and little bees starting to congregate, hope that's a start of sorts.

Anyway, long post, but TLR, maple aphids are here, should I let them get eaten naturally, or start with the water, then soap?

Thanks, and happy tree-ing and sacrificng, y'all.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Ever heard of old school fly paper? Wrap that around the trunk of your tree. The ants can't cross it. Double sided tape doesn't last long, flypaper does.

That should stop the defences. Come in with neem oil emulsion to knock them down hard. The lady bugs will do the rest.

 

[Paradox]

I'd get rid of the aphids.
I don't like things feeding on my trees

 

[We're all Mad Here...🎩]

Ever heard of old school fly paper? Wrap that around the trunk of your tree. The ants can't cross it. Double sided tape doesn't last long, flypaper does.

That should stop the defences. Come in with neem oil emulsion to knock them down hard. The lady bugs will do the rest.

This is cool. I have large reptiles, and fly tape on the ready. Thanks for the idea.

 

[We're all Mad Here...🎩]

I'd get rid of the aphids.
I don't like things feeding on my trees

I don't like it either, however, I mentioned the very big root going through the bottom of the ceramic pot the nursery can is in. Not sure if that can be cut, especially with the tree under stress but also in spring growth mode.

 

[Gabler]

I don't like it either, however, I mentioned the very big root going through the bottom of the ceramic pot the nursery can is in. Not sure if that can be cut, especially with the tree under stress but also in spring growth mode.

I'm not sure I understand what that has to do with getting rid of aphids.

That said, you can probably cut the root. Red maple is resilient to root pruning, much like trident maple or elm.

 

[Shibui]

Should be no problem cutting the escaped root. Trees always have more roots than they actually need and there should still be a good lot of roots inside the pot so losing part of the root system is rarely fatal.

There are a number of aphid predators that can help control the numbers but they are also affected by any treatments we use on the aphids so are rarely around to help. If you are willing to let the aphid numbers build up and probably do some damage then you may see a corresponding increase in predators but It's hard to watch your special trees get hit before the cavalry turns up.
There are companies that specialise in supply of natural predators. You may be able to purchase a pack of bugs to help with the problem but I suspect that good control will mean controlling the ants which help protect the aphids. Ants are tenacious buggers. Getting rid of them is easier said than done.
Natural predators will also rarely completely eliminate the pests. They just reduce numbers because no pests means no food for the predators.

 

[We're all Mad Here...🎩]

Should be no problem cutting the escaped root. Trees always have more roots than they actually need and there should still be a good lot of roots inside the pot so losing part of the root system is rarely fatal.

There are a number of aphid predators that can help control the numbers but they are also affected by any treatments we use on the aphids so are rarely around to help. If you are willing to let the aphid numbers build up and probably do some damage then you may see a corresponding increase in predators but It's hard to watch your special trees get hit before the cavalry turns up.
There are companies that specialise in supply of natural predators. You may be able to purchase a pack of bugs to help with the problem but I suspect that good control will mean controlling the ants which help protect the aphids. Ants are tenacious buggers. Getting rid of them is easier said than done.
Natural predators will also rarely completely eliminate the pests. They just reduce numbers because no pests means no food for the predators.

Thank you, I think I'll cut the root, move tree and spray it down heavily with water and repeat.

 

[Epos7]

I've been making a mix of warm water, insecticidal soap, neem oil, rosemary oil, and peppermint oil for my vegetable garden. Shake it up, spray. Rosemary and peppermint help mask the scent of plants aphids and other insects are attracted to. Now that I'm growing maples too I gave them a spray down as our aphids are just starting to appear.

I may also give this a shot when there are more flowers blooming and I don't want to spray neem due to bees - https://earthsally.com/product/3-in-1-plant-spray-8-fl-oz-concentrate-makes-6-gallons

 

[dbonsaiw]

While I despise the aphids on my trees, I got to hand it to ants for their aphid farming abilities. Pretty cool that they care for the aphid eggs all winter and then place them on the emerging leaves to basically farm them for their honeydew. That’s a lot of skill and planning for such a tiny brain.

 

[We're all Mad Here...🎩]

While I despise the aphids on my trees, I got to hand it to ants for their aphid farming abilities. Pretty cool that they care for the aphid eggs all winter and then place them on the emerging leaves to basically farm them for their honeydew. That’s a lot of skill and planning for such a tiny brain.

Yeah they're mesmerizing creatures. Their brains are only small relative to our understanding of them. Who knows what is actually programmed into those minds. We thought we nearly had the universe figured out, too!

 

[We're all Mad Here...🎩]

Well. I ordered 1500 lady bugs and placed them strategically throughout the garden and there were definitely a lot around this morning after. Seems like they're happy!