Identification: pest on underside of leaves

Discussion in 'Ornamental Cherries' started by sharonpn, Jun 22, 2013.

  1. sharonpn

    sharonpn New Member

    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver
    HELP! small (1/4 inch) flat soft cottony white cocoons on underside of leaves of my young cherry tree, also appearing on the neighbour's shrubs. I haven't seen the adults but the leaves are riddled with holes and I have been pruning the branches with too many cocoons. I can squash them by hand but they are well stuck to the leaves. Adults lay eggs on or under the bark of young branches, causing blisters that are also squashable. Some leaves have just one cocoon, others have numerous.
     
  2. cagreene

    cagreene Active Member

    Messages:
    145
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    salt spring island,bc
    sounds like a mild case of tent caterpillars.they seem to plague the west coast, covering trees from top to bottom. Vancouver island gets sprayed every year for them, yet i don't think it does much good. here on salt spring we just use tree pruners to remove them once they are cocooned. they can also be removed by hand, if there is not to many.
    when they first hatch they are very small, almost invisible to the naked eye,just little black specks the size ants, they are usually in swarms on the infected branches, covering it entirely.
    they seem to infect the same trees year after year, each year worse than the one before it...not sure why...good luck. peace and happy gardening to all!
     
  3. lunarbloom

    lunarbloom New Member

    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver, Canada
    Your description resembles something I've been seeing on the underside of a wide variety of plants and trees this summer, including maple, hydrangea, and yews. I'm a landscaper and have met people who are complaining about it spreading throughout their gardens infecting all the plants. No one in my company has identified it yet.

    They are just what you described, 1/4 inch flat soft cottony white cocoons, and several cocoons to the underside of a leaf. However when you mash them, they are sticky like melted marshmallow. There are no holes in the leaves. Each cocoon keeps some distance from the others (they are not right up against each other).

    Neither scale, mealy bugs or tent catapillars seem to resemble this one. I will try to upload a picture soon.
     
  4. Liz J.

    Liz J. New Member

    Messages:
    2
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    U.K.

    Hi there Sharonpn... in searching for help with the identical problem you described several years ago —I stumbled upon this website’s forum. I thought.. better late than never. I know there is often someone out there experiencing the same challenge; or might have experienced same... I wondered... ((that is.. if you’re still a contributor to this site)) — how did you solve your own parasite problem??? Just to point out to other readers, this is certainly NOT blights (which is a mucous darkening or blackening of the leaves), these are, like you accurately described, small cocoon-like white, snowy parasites that cling to the leaves and plants of cherry trees and rose plants. Recently my poor plants were obliterated! I painstainstakingly removed them all by hand from my rose plant — but for the cherry tree — I brought out the “big guns” in the form of NEEM OIL. Got it on Amazon.. just a little bit of water added to dilute the oil some, poured into a spray bottle —and went to town on my lovely gorgeous cherry tree. However, after one spraying — it all looked fine on the surface, but the clever buggers hit UNDER the leaves! So second and more powerful spraying — they’re all now exterminated. Thank heavens! The best part is, because the Neem is also from the leaves of an Indian tree, with a host of amazing properties — it did not harm my cherry tree. On the contrary, the tree appeared happier and healthier. Maybe it’s my imagination, but it actually looks revived and the leaves greener. So I thought I’d share my own experience. Perhaps it might help someone else.
     
  5. Liz J.

    Liz J. New Member

    Messages:
    2
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    U.K.

    They’re called Wooly Aphids. It is wise NOT to use pesticides; in fact, it would be foolish —if used to eradicate these pests. Soapy water is also ineffective. As mentioned, I’ve used Neem Oil. However, I’m praying that a natural and wonderful way to get rid of Wooly Aphids —would be to have a host of Lady bugs descend upon my garden, to feed upon these parasites. My plants will thank me, I’m sure... I, in turn, will thank God. :-)
     

Share This Page